At least three people were killed and many others injured in Israeli airstrikes on a Yemeni port, according to Houthi rebels. The attack came a day after the Iran-backed group claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on Tel Aviv.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that its fighter jets targeted “military assets of the Houthi terrorist regime” near Yemen’s Hodeidah Port on Saturday. This was in retaliation for the death of a 50-year-old Israeli in a Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv on Friday, as stated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This marks Israel’s first strike on Yemen, as confirmed by Israeli officials.
The Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported that the strikes hit oil facilities in the port, resulting in at least three fatalities and injuring 87 others, most suffering from severe burns.
Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam claimed the strikes also hit civilian areas and a power station, condemning the actions as “brutal Israeli aggression” meant to increase the “suffering of the people of Yemen” and to pressure the group to cease its support for Gaza.
Houthi military spokesperson Yehya Saree vowed retaliation, warning that the group would target Israel’s “vital sites” and emphasizing that Tel Aviv remained unsafe.
“We have prepared for a long conflict with this enemy until the aggression stops and the blockade on the Palestinian people is lifted,” Saree stated.
Netanyahu, in a Saturday statement, defended the airstrikes, saying Hodeidah was “not an innocent port” but a conduit for deadly weapons supplied by Iran to the Houthis and a launch point for attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.
Netanyahu emphasized that the operation, striking targets 1,800 km (1,118 miles) from Israel’s borders, demonstrated Israel’s capability to respond to threats anywhere.
The Israeli military reported that its air defense system intercepted a surface-to-surface missile approaching from Yemen. Although the projectile did not enter Israeli territory, sirens were sounded over the potential for falling debris.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the strikes, urging all parties to avoid actions that could harm civilians and damage civilian infrastructure.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari noted that the strikes were also in response to approximately 200 projectiles fired by the Houthi group toward Israel since October, coinciding with the start of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.
The Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, is a Shi’ite Islamist political and military group backed by Iran, emerging in the 1990s. The group is known for its anti-American and anti-Israeli rhetoric and has been involved in Yemen’s civil war since 2014.
In recent weeks, regional tensions have escalated, with Hezbollah increasing cross-border attacks on Israel, prompting Israel to prepare for a large-scale response on its northern border. Following the Hodeidah strike, several Israeli ministers advocated for a similar stance against Hezbollah.
Hezbollah condemned the attack on Yemen, aligning themselves with the Yemeni people, while Hamas called the strike a “dangerous escalation.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz urged the international community to increase sanctions on Iran, accusing it of supporting the Houthi organization as part of a regional network targeting Israel.
Iran condemned the Israeli strike, warning of the potential for regional war and blaming Israel’s actions in Gaza for escalating tensions. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Nasser Kanaani stated that the Yemeni people were paying the price for their support of Gaza.
CNN