As the front page of this newspaper states, today is a new month but an old word, one we have seen every day for the past year – October. Unbelievably, it has been almost 12 months since the terrible events of October 7. Since then, as a nation, we have lost too many of our sons and daughters.
But throughout the year of a war that will be the first real experience of conflict for an entire generation of Israelis, one factor has remained constant.
The stellar work of the Israel Air Force (IAF), its pilots, and all those who contribute to their success.
The IAF is currently fighting a war on four fronts – against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah in Syria, and the Houthis of Yemen – in order to combat the threat from the Iranian proxy groups’ intent on destroying Israel.
The air force has proven once again to be a critical pillar in Israel’s defense strategy, supporting military efforts that have required precision, strategy, and resilience, especially given the range of threats posed by these terror organizations. All of this has been carried out against terror groups that embed themselves and their arsenal of rockets and mortars in civilian populations.
On the morning of October 7, as Israelis were still trying to come to grips with what was happening down South, as the IDF was gearing up for reservists and rocket sirens continued to sound throughout the southern and central parts of the country, the IAF had already jumped into action. By 11 a.m., Gaza was feeling the force of IAF jets targeting Hamas infrastructure; since then, Israeli fighter jets have kept up a constant bombardment on Hamas and thousands of terrorists have been removed from the equation.
On April 19, the IAF conducted targeted airstrikes on an air defense installation inside Iran near the central city of Isfahan. The strikes focused on a radar facility at an airbase and satellite imagery suggested significant damage or destruction to a surface-to-air missile battery. The operation was a direct response to the earlier Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel – the first time the Islamic Republic had directly attacked Israel – which followed an Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
The attack on Yemen's Houthis
Perhaps one of the most impressive feats is the IAF’s recent long-range operation against the Houthis in Yemen. In July, Israeli airstrikes targeted oil-refining facilities in Hodeidah in Yemen in response to Houthi missiles, as well as Yemeni air force assets, aiming to disrupt the transport of Iranian weapons to Yemen. The Houthis, supported by Iran, have been developing long-range missiles with which to attack the Jewish state. On Sunday, the IAF hit the Houthis even harder.
The impressive strike was the most powerful one against the terror group since the beginning of the war, as confirmed to Jerusalem Post’s Yonah Jeremy Bob. Dozens of Israeli aircraft participated in the operation, striking 1,800 kilometers from Israeli territory after the Houthis fired three ballistic missiles on Tel Aviv and central Israel areas in recent weeks, including one on Saturday.
The attack on Yemen complimented an even greater success story from Friday night. IAF jets dropped close to 100 bombs on Hezbollah’s underground headquarters in the heart of Beirut, killing the terror group’s chief of 32 years, Hassan Nasrallah, and potentially reordering the region.
Since October 8, Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets and drones into Israel’s northern regions, displacing thousands of Israelis from their homes and killing many, including 12 Druze children on a soccer field in July. The air force responds to the Hezbollah threats on a daily basis, striking rocket launch pads and hitting their command centers. The strike on Nasrallah marks another high point in the IAF’s four-front battle against Israel’s enemies.
Let us not forget that in 2023, many in the air force’s ranks, including top pilots, were derided and shunned by half of society for their stance on the issue of judicial reforms. In 2024, they are the nation’s heroes, restoring a sense of pride and security to a battered Israeli confidence. Every successful strike not only weakens Israel’s enemies but also strengthens national morale. Knowing that there is a dedicated and highly capable force ensuring the country’s safety brings a sense of collective gratitude.
So, to the Israeli Air Force, we simply say thank you.