HODEIDAH, YEMEN – At least six people were killed and dozens more injured in Israeli airstrikes on a Yemeni port, according to Houthi rebels, a day after the Iran-backed group claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on Tel Aviv.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that its fighter jets targeted “military installations of the Houthi terrorist regime” in the vicinity of Hodeidah Port on Saturday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the strikes were a direct response to the death of a 50-year-old Israeli citizen in a Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv the previous day.
This marks the first instance of Israel launching an attack on Yemen, Israeli officials confirmed. The Houthis reported that the strikes resulted in six fatalities, three missing individuals, and 83 injuries, primarily affecting oil facilities. Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam claimed that civilian areas and a power station were also hit, condemning what he described as “brutal Israeli aggression” intended to exacerbate the suffering of the Yemeni people and pressure the group to cease its support for Gaza.
Houthi military spokesperson Yehya Saree vowed retaliation, asserting that the group would not hesitate to target Israel’s “vital locations” and warning that Tel Aviv remains vulnerable. “We are prepared for a prolonged conflict with this adversary until the aggression ceases and the blockade on the Palestinian people is lifted,” Saree declared.
On Sunday, Israel reported intercepting a missile launched from Yemen, with the IDF noting that the projectile did not enter Israeli territory. “Rocket and missile sirens were activated due to the potential for falling debris. The situation has been resolved,” the IDF stated.
Netanyahu defended the operation, emphasizing that Hodeidah was “not an innocent port” but a hub for military activities and an entry point for weapons supplied to the Houthis by Iran. He added that the port had been used to attack international shipping in the Red Sea, underscoring that the operation demonstrated Israel’s commitment to responding to threats, no matter the distance.
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the strikes in a UN statement. In response to the attack, Houthi rebels issued a statement warning of a significant retaliation and pledging to continue targeting Israeli, American, and British ships until Israel lifts its “siege” on Gaza.
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari indicated that the strikes were also a response to the approximately 200 missiles and drones launched by the Houthis towards Israel since the onset of the conflict with Hamas in Gaza in October. The Houthis have consistently targeted Israel, with most attacks intercepted by Israeli defenses or those of its allies. However, the Houthis claimed that their recent drone attack on Tel Aviv, which injured 10 people, involved a new drone capable of evading interception systems.
The Houthis have also targeted US assets and commercial vessels in the Red Sea. In response to attacks on shipping, both the UK and the US have conducted strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, although Israel had not participated in those actions until now. An Israeli defense official confirmed that the recent strike was entirely an Israeli operation, motivated by the death of the Israeli citizen in Tel Aviv.
The official noted that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had informed US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin prior to the strike. The White House stated that President Joe Biden had been briefed on developments in the Middle East and acknowledged Israel’s right to self-defense, although the US had not coordinated with Israel on the airstrikes.
The Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, is a Shi’ite Islamist political and military organization backed by Iran. The group has been involved in Yemen’s civil war since 2014 and has recently positioned itself as a defender of the Palestinian cause, escalating tensions in the region with missile and drone attacks on ships linked to Israel and its allies.
Following the Hodeidah strike, Israeli officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and Defense Minister Gallant, praised the operation and called for similar actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hezbollah and Hamas condemned the attack, while Iranian officials warned of the risk of war in the region, attributing the escalating tensions to Israel’s actions in Gaza.