How Israel’s Intelligence Network Operates in Yemen

According to the Italian magazine Il Faro sul Mondo, Israel is attempting to isolate the conflict in Yemen from the ongoing war in Gaza and is preparing for targeted military strikes against the Sanaa-based government. This strategy involves coordinated efforts across several domains:

1. Recruitment and Deployment of Spy Networks
In recent days, Mossad has launched a broad campaign on social media to recruit operatives, inviting opponents of Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement to join “Unit 504,” a covert operations wing. To establish this unit, Israeli agents have reportedly reached out to various anti-AnsarAllah factions in occupied Yemeni territories, including remnants of Ali Abdullah Saleh’s network and the Southern Transitional Council.

These activities reflect Israel’s intent to expand its intelligence footprint in Yemen and carry out preemptive strikes in response to Yemen’s support for Palestinians in Gaza. Israeli officials frequently cite Ansar Allah’s slogans and flags as evidence of a “existential threat,” with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly stating his desire to continue attacks on Yemen—even after the recent ceasefire in Gaza. Channel 12 in Israel also reported that Netanyahu plans to maintain military pressure on Yemen beyond the Gaza conflict.

Israeli intelligence efforts in Sanaa are not limited to recruiting from political opposition. They have also infiltrated humanitarian and international organizations, allegedly using operatives for sabotage. For instance, during Israel’s 16th airstrike on Yemen on August 28, the cabinet meeting location was targeted, resulting in the death of 12 Yemeni officials, including Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahwi of the Reform and Reconstruction Government.

Yemeni security forces and Ansar Allah’s intelligence wing have responded by arresting networks linked to Hamed Hussein al-Majali—a Saudi agent affiliated with Mossad and the CIA—as well as operatives embedded in humanitarian organizations. However, countering Israeli espionage requires more advanced infrastructure and strategic planning.

The primary goal of U.S. and Israeli intelligence in Yemen is to gather detailed information on missile and drone bases, naval positions, weapons depots, and the whereabouts of key political and military figures.

2. Activation and Support of Anti-Ansarallah Groups
Targeted assassinations in Sanaa and Al-Bayda province in recent days suggest that Western and Israeli intelligence agencies are reactivating covert cells in Ansarallah-controlled areas. These attacks, often aimed at field commanders and local officials, appear designed to destabilize and sow chaos. For example, on October 31, a female doctor was killed in Sanaa, and on November 2 and 3, two Ansarallah-affiliated personnel were assassinated in Rada’a district.

Given the history of al-Qaeda and ISIS activity in Rada’a, it’s likely that these groups are being reactivated with support from Western-Arab intelligence. Surrounding areas such as Al-Qayfa, Al-Zahir, Mukayras, and Al-Sawma’ah remain vulnerable due to extremist presence, though most tribes in Al-Bayda are allied with Ansarallah, making a full collapse unlikely.

Meanwhile, U.S. and British embassies in Yemen are reportedly strengthening ties with Saudi-Emirati-backed forces such as the Giants Brigades and Tariq Saleh’s units. With support from diplomats like Steven Fagin and Abdu Sharif, these groups are enhancing their capabilities for potential ground operations against Yemen’s revolutionary forces.

3. Communications Networks and Satellite Surveillance
Israeli intelligence is also focused on dominating communication systems in occupied Yemeni territories, conducting cyberattacks, analyzing satellite imagery to locate missile and drone bases, and monitoring Ansarallah’s field movements.

While much of this activity remains covert, social media users—especially on X (formerly Twitter)—have been tracking and analyzing satellite images of military sites in Saada and Sanaa. These individuals may be directly or indirectly linked to Western intelligence agencies. Additionally, reports have surfaced that Southern Transitional Council forces have used Israeli Cellebrite spyware to monitor phone lines and track individuals in Hadramaut province, indicating that Israel is replicating its intelligence model from Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine in Yemen.

Read more: Israeli Surveillance Grip on Hadhramaut Communications!

Conclusion
Israel’s espionage network in Yemen employs a range of tools and tactics similar to those used in other regional theaters. Yemenis, particularly in the north and central regions, benefit from strong public resistance to betrayal and foreign interference, rooted in tribal and cultural values. This social cohesion provides a powerful foundation for countering terrorist and intelligence operations.

Israel’s primary objective is to detach Yemen from the regional resistance axis and neutralize its strategic threat. While continued missile and drone operations in the Red Sea and occupied Palestine offer a tactical response, they are insufficient against aerial assaults and surveillance dominance. A comprehensive strategy—including public mobilization, technological resilience, and regional coordination—is essential to confront and dismantle Israel’s intelligence apparatus in Yemen.