The Israeli military has launched airstrikes on Houthi rebels -controlled areas in Yemen, targeting three ports and a power plant, in response to repeated attacks on Israel. The strikes hit the ports of Hodeidah, Ras-Isa, and as-Salif on the Red Sea coast, as well as the Ras Kathib power plant. Additionally, the Israeli military targeted a radar system on the Galaxy Leader ship, seized by the Houthis in late 2023.
The Houthis responded to the Israeli attacks by launching more missiles at Israel, with two projectiles fired from Yemen and intercepted by the Israeli military. The attack set off sirens in Jerusalem, Hebron, and near the Dead Sea, but there were no reports of injuries or damage.
Ameen Hayyan Yemeni, a spokesman for the Houthis, said the group’s air defenses forced “a large portion” of Israel’s warplanes to retreat, using locally manufactured surface-to-air missiles that caused “great confusion among enemy pilots and operations rooms”.
The Houthis claim their attacks on Israel are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, who are under Israeli attack. Since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, the Houthis have fired hundreds of missiles at Israel and launched over 100 attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea corridor.
The group paused their attacks after a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in January but resumed them after US attacks on Yemen in March, which resulted in significant casualties.
The escalation comes at a sensitive moment in the Middle East, with a possible ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza hanging in the balance, and Tehran weighing whether to restart negotiations over its nuclear program following US airstrikes that damaged Iran’s most sensitive atomic sites.
The hostilities also coincided with a grenade and drone attack on a Red Sea cargo ship, which set the vessel on fire and forced its crew to abandon it. Although no group claimed responsibility, the UK maritime agency said it matched the “established Houthi target profile”.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that anyone attempting to harm Israel would “pay a heavy price” for their actions. The Israeli military stated that the strikes targeted sites used for attacks on Israel and threats to global shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks on Israel, emphasizing their readiness to confront future Israeli aggression.
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