Israeli military launched a punitive airstrike against Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Monday, with the main target being the Red Sea port city of Hodeida. The day before, Houthi militants, backed by Iran, fired a missile that hit a major airport in Israel.
According to the media office of the Houthi militants, at least six airstrikes hit the crucial port of Hodeida on Monday afternoon. The rebels claimed that other attacks targeted a cement factory in the Bajil district of Hodeida province.
The Israeli military stated that more than twenty Israeli fighter jets were involved in the operation, dropping over fifty bombs on dozens of targets.
On Sunday, Houthi militants launched a missile from Yemen that hit a road near a major airport in Israel, leading to a temporary disruption of flights and commuter traffic. Four people sustained minor injuries. This marked the first missile to hit an Israeli airport since the beginning of the Gaza War in October 2023.
The Health Ministry controlled by the Houthi militants reported that at least 21 people were injured in the Israeli attack on the Bajil cement factory.
Nasruddin Amer, the head of the Houthi militants’ media office, posted on social media that the Israeli attacks would not deter their organization and vowed to respond to these assaults.
He stated that the Houthi militants would escalate attacks and would not stop targeting waterways and Israel until Israel ceases the Gaza War.
The Israeli military mentioned that the airstrike on Hodeida port on Monday was due to the Houthi militants using the port to receive weapons and military equipment provided by Iran. The Houthi-controlled Hodeida port is located approximately 145 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and has been a vital port for shipping food to Yemen during the decade-long war in Yemen.
(This article is based on reports from the Associated Press)