The Houthis “are more technologically advanced than perceived by many” and should not be “underrated,” said an Israeli official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Their drones, missiles and projectiles, experts say, are managing to circumvent Israel’s once-vaunted air defense systems and are resurfacing Israel’s perennial military dilemma: how to defeat an enemy armed with a relatively cheaper and comparatively ample stockpile of weapons.