Israeli airstrikes on Yemen kill 6 after Tel Aviv drone attack
At least six people were killed and scores more injured in Israeli airstrikes on a Yemeni port, Houthi rebels reported, a day after the Iran-backed group claimed a deadly attack on the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its fighter jets struck “military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime” in the area of Yemen’s Hodeidah Port on Saturday. This response followed the death of a 50-year-old Israeli in a Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv on Friday. According to Israeli officials, this is the first time Israel has struck Yemen.
The Houthis reported that the strikes killed at least six people, with three missing and 83 more injured. The strikes hit oil facilities, according to Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam, who also claimed civilian targets and a power station were impacted. Abdulsalam condemned what he described as “brutal Israeli aggression” aimed at increasing the suffering of the Yemeni people and pressuring the group to cease its support of Gaza.
Houthi army spokesperson Yehya Saree vowed to retaliate, warning that the Houthis would not hesitate to strike Israel’s “vital targets” and asserting that Tel Aviv was not safe. Saree emphasized that the Houthis had prepared for a prolonged conflict until the aggression ceased and the blockade on the Palestinian people was lifted.
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On Sunday, Israel intercepted a missile launched from Yemen. “The projectile did not cross into Israeli territory. Rocket and missile sirens were sounded following the possibility of falling shrapnel. The incident has concluded,” the IDF said.
Strategic and Military Implications
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Hodeidah was “not an innocent port.” He claimed it was used for military purposes and as an entry point for deadly weapons supplied to the Houthis by Iran. Netanyahu highlighted that the operation, which targeted locations 1,800 km (1,118 miles) from Israel’s borders, demonstrated Israel’s commitment to responding to threats.
“It makes it clear to our enemies that there is no place that the long arm of the state of Israel will not reach,” Netanyahu said.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the reports of the strikes. The Houthi rebels warned that their response would be significant and ongoing, targeting Israeli, American, and British ships until the Gaza siege is lifted.
Historical Context and Regional Tensions
The Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, is a Shi’ite Islamist political and military organization backed by Iran. It emerged in the 1990s and, in 2014, took control of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, sparking a civil war. The group is seen by parts of the largely Sunni Muslim world and beyond as champions of the Palestinian cause.
Since October 7, the Houthis have conducted numerous missile and drone attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, asserting these vessels are linked to Israel and its allies, escalating tensions throughout the Middle East.
Broader Reactions
Following the Hodeidah strike, Israel’s Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir and other officials called for a similar policy against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hezbollah and Hamas condemned the attack, with Hezbollah expressing solidarity with Yemen and Hamas labeling it a “dangerous escalation.”
Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz called for increased sanctions on Iran, which he accused of supporting and financing the Houthi terror organisation. Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned of the risk of war in the region, attributing the root of the tensions to Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Proofreading, editing by Sakinat Musa Abubakar Editor at Neptune Prime.
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