Israeli airstrikes struck Houthi rebels in Yemen following the Iran-backed group’s claim of a deadly attack on Tel Aviv.
According to CNN, the Israel Defence Forces stated, “A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime in the area of the Al Hudaydah [Hodeidah] Port in Yemen in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the state of Israel in recent months.”
This announcement was made shortly after the Houthi-controlled Al Masirah TV reported airstrikes on oil facilities in the western port of Hodeidah, which resulted in casualties.
Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam confirmed the Israeli strikes hit oil tanks and a power station, saying, “A brutal Israeli aggression against Yemen by targeting civilian facilities, oil tanks, and the power station in Hodeidah aims to increase the suffering of the people of Yemen.”
He condemned the pressure on Yemen to cease its support for Gaza.
The airstrikes on Hodeidah occurred a day after a drone attack in Tel Aviv killed one person and injured at least ten others.
The Houthis claimed this attack was in retaliation for Israel’s actions in Gaza, with a spokesperson revealing it was carried out by a new drone capable of “bypassing the enemy’s interception systems.”
Although the Houthis have previously targeted shipping in solidarity with Gaza, this marks Israel’s first strike in Yemen. In response to shipping attacks, both the UK and the US have conducted strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
In May, US-UK airstrikes in Hodeidah aimed at Houthi rebels resulted in at least 16 deaths and 35 injuries, marking the fifth round of coalition strikes against the Houthis.
An Israeli official disclosed that Israel had informed the US ahead of its airstrikes in Yemen on Saturday.
