Israel launched strikes on Houthi-controlled targets in Yemen, including power plants and a seaport, a day after the rebel group claimed to have targeted Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport with a missile.
On Sunday, the Israeli military announced it had deployed dozens of aircraft to strike various Houthi targets in Yemen.
According to military spokesperson Captain David Avraham, the operation included fighter jets, refuelling planes, and reconnaissance aircraft focusing on military facilities in the Ras Issa and Hodeida regions.
The strikes specifically targeted power stations and a seaport critical for oil imports. This action followed a similar attack on the Hodeida port in July, which a port official reported caused at least $20 million in damages. That earlier strike was in retaliation for a Houthi drone attack that bypassed Israeli air defences, resulting in a civilian death in Tel Aviv.
The military emphasized that the targeted sites were pivotal for the Houthis’ transportation of Iranian weaponry and other military supplies. The operation aimed to respond to recent aggressions by the Houthi regime against Israel, particularly after their attempted strike on Ben Gurion Airport coinciding with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s return from New York.
The Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV station reported that the Israeli operations had hit the ports of Hodeidah and Ras Issa and damaged two power stations, noting ongoing “Israeli aggression on Hodeida.”