Israeli warplanes flew into the Huthi-controlled Yemeni port of Hodeida on Saturday, one evening after a civilian was killed in a drone strike by Huthi rebels in Tel Aviv. The cuts, which triggered a raging fire and clouds of black dust, are the first claimed by Israel in Yemen, marking a new step in the fight.
Details of attacks
The attacks targeted a energy station in the Hodeidah harbor of Hodeidah, which is under the control of the Houthis and has important oil export features. Under the condition of anonymity, an Israeli defense official described the dock as a major Iranian arms supply route to Yemen. However, the harbor is also important for humanitarian assistance to Country, and the standard acknowledged that some “dual-use” goals, serving both military and civilian uses, were struck.
In response to the drone attack in Tel Aviv, which breached Israel’s weather threats, the Israeli government confirmed that its aircraft targeted “military goals of the Huthi criminal plan.”
In response to the thousands of attacks against the state of Israel in recent months, Jewish fighter jets have attacked military goals of the Huthi criminal regime in the Hodeida port in Yemen, according to AFP.
Despite the assault, the Israeli military indicated it was not tightening emergency legal protection laws, suggesting officials do not believe a more serious increase, NYT reported.
‘ We will defend ourselves by all means ‘: Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would “defend ourselves by all means,” just hours after fighter jets attacked a Yemeni port in retaliation for a deadly drone attack.
” I have a message for Israel’s enemies: Make no mistake. We will defend ourselves by all means, on all fronts. In a televised address the day after a drone struck a civilian in Tel Aviv, he declared,” Anyone who harms us will pay a very heavy price for their aggression.”
‘ The blood of Israeli citizens has a price ‘: Israeli defence minister
A massive fire in the port area was probably caused by the Israeli bombardment, which was caused by burning fuel.
Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant declared the retaliatory action, saying,” The blood of Israeli citizens has a price”. Gallant warned of additional operations against the Huthis, which were supported by Iran.
” The fire burning in Hodeidah is seen across the Middle East, and the significance is clear”, said Gallant. ” The Houthis attacked us over 200 times. The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them — and we will do this in any place where it may be required”, he added.
Huthi response to strikes
The strikes were deemed by Huthi leader Mohammed Abdulsalam as a “brutal Israel aggression against Yemen.” He claimed that the attack targeted “fuel storage facilities and a power plant” to pressure Yemen to halt its aid to Palestinians in the Gaza conflict. The health ministry under the control of Huthi reported deaths and injuries, but it did not provide specific figures.
Al Masirah television, operated by the Huthis, aired footage of a massive blaze on the seafront, with a large plume of black smoke rising into the sky. Additionally, AFP reported that smoke was spotted over the port and that several large explosions were audible.
The drone attack on Israel
The drone attack on Tel Aviv on Friday, claimed by the Houthis, killed one Israeli and injured several others. In addition to the hundreds of missiles and drones launched at Israeli cities and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, this attack is a part of a long Houthi offensive against Israel.
Friday’s deadly drone attack, which struck near a US diplomatic compound, breached Israel’s air defenses. The majority of the Houthi-fired drones and missiles launched at Israel have been intercepted by US and Israeli forces.
Until Saturday, Israel had refrained from a full-on attack against the Houthis in Yemen, located over 1, 000 miles away. However, the Tel Aviv drone attack prompted a decisive response, with Israeli fighter jets flying toward Yemen by Saturday afternoon.
Impact on Hodeida and humanitarian concerns
Concerns about Yemen’s already pressing humanitarian and food security have grown even more acute as a result of the strikes. Hodeida port, a crucial point of entry for imports and international aid, has provided a lifeline to millions of Yemenis who have been suffering from more than ten years of war.
Many Yemenis will likely perceive this as an attack on their own country, which could encourage Huthi recruitment and funding, according to Mohammed Albasha, senior Middle East analyst for the US-based Navanti Group. Because most trade flows through this port, traders worry that the strikes will worsen the humanitarian crisis in northern Yemen.
US ‘ reaction
The Biden administration had not immediately reacted to Saturday’s strike. However, following Friday’s attack in Tel Aviv, Gen Charles Q. At the Aspen Security Forum, Brown Jr., the head of the joint chiefs of staff, stated that” Israel has the right to defend itself.”
In light of the rising violence, the UN chief urges restraint.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had called for “maximum restraint” after the Tel Aviv drone strike to avoid further regional escalation. Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a Huthi politician, threatened to take revenge for the Hodeida strikes, however. ” The Zionist entity will pay the price for targeting civilian facilities, and we will meet escalation with escalation”, he posted on social media.
The Huthis have previously claimed attacks on Israeli cities, including Ashdod, Haifa, and Eilat, but Friday’s strike on Tel Aviv was the first to breach Israel’s vaunted air defenses.
