Israeli strikes against Yemeni terrorists; RSF continues shelling civilian locations

THE WAR NEWSLETTER — DEC 18 2024

Today’s email brings you news from Israel and Sudan.

1 - ISRAEL

1 thing to know

Israel conducted significant airstrikes on Yemen early Thursday morning (December 19) targeting all three Houthi-controlled ports and the capital Sanaa.

The context 

This is Israel's most extensive strike on Yemen to date.

The strikes came immediately after the Yemen-based Houthi terror group launched a ballistic missile toward central Israel. Israel's Arrow defense system intercepted the missile, but falling debris caused significant damage in Ramat Gan, including the collapse of a school building.

The overnight Israeli operation involved dozens of aircraft striking roughly 2,000 kilometers from Israel, targeting port infrastructure and energy facilities. Sources show the strikes were designed to paralyze Houthi shipping capabilities - Israel claims all port tugboats were destroyed.

More from the region

Combat engineers discovered an underground tunnel facility in southern Lebanon that Hezbollah had been using to direct rocket attacks against Israeli towns in the Galilee region.

The military found Hezbollah weapons caches nearby, including one hidden in a mosque. The tunnel was investigated by the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit and then destroyed with explosives.

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TECH SPOTLIGHT: VIRGINIA-CLASS SUBMARINE

The Virginia-class submarine, designated as SSN-774, is the US Navy’s latest generation of nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines.

It’s equipped with twelve vertical launch system (VLS) tubes that hold Tomahawk cruise missiles for hitting land targets, four tubes that carry MK 48 torpedoes for engaging sea targets. It can even deploy Navy SEALs for special operations.

What it’s used for

These submarines excel in both deep ocean and coastal operations, including anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, and precision strikes against land targets.

2 - SUDAN

1 thing to know

Over 35 people were killed when the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shelled a hospital in El Fasher.

The context

Fighting has intensified in El Fasher as the RSF attempts to capture the remaining government strongholds in the city, and continue to shell civilian areas. The same hospital had already been shelled four times this year, as well as the surrounding residential areas, including markets and homes.

The Zamzam refugee in the south of El Fasher also continues to be shelled, in addition the massive food shortages caused by the RSF blockade. The camp currently holds almost 2 million displaced people.

The Sudanese Army also executed airstrikes on a secondary school in South Darfur, claiming it is targeting military supplies, and killing at least 4.

More from the region

The Council of the European Union announced sanctions against leadership on both sides of war, in an attempt to curb the violence. The restrictions target four individuals, and prevent any European citizens or companies from doing business with them, as well as enacting an asset freeze and travel ban.

The US has also already sanctioned one of them, the former director of the National Intelligence and Security Service, Salah Gosh.

P.S. If you have a source, tip, or piece of information we missed, please reply to this email and tell us about it. Thank you!