A wave of Israel airstrikes hit Yemen’s capital and the port city of as-Salif, with at least nine dead, according to Houthi-controlled media. Israel’s military said it launched the strikes against “military targets” linked to Houthi fighters in western Yemen, after Israel intercepted a missile heading its way.
Al Masirah TV, which is a primary outlet of the Houthi movement, citing sources in as-Salif, said seven individuals died in that attack and reported additional casualties when two strikes hit the Ras Isa oil facility in Hodeidah. Al Masirah described the airstrikes, which also targeted two central power stations in the area near Sanaa, as “aggressive raids.”.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the operations targeted military sites of the Houthis, including ports and facilities in the energy sector, in response to the interception of a missile from Yemen. It was the latest in the military’s cited threats over the past 14 months by Houthi forces.
In a parallel escalation, the Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile operation targeting sensitive military sites in Israel’s Yaffa area, claiming it was parallel to the continuous Israeli raids on civilian objects in Yemen.
Houthi leaders underlined that the recent Israeli moves will not deflect their determination in response to what they termed massacres taking place in Gaza, where some 45,000 women and children are reported killed in ongoing clashes.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened Houthi leaders in response to the strikes, warning that aggression against Israel would receive an “harsh response”. President Isaac Herzog congratulated the effectiveness of the Israeli military, claiming that a serious blow had been dealt to Houthi forces.
Criticism of the Israeli strikes came from all quarters, with Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi political bureau, pointing at U.S. complicity in the attacks. He described the strikes on civilian facilities as a stark example of Western hypocrisy.
The spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry denounced the airstrikes as international law violations, while Hussain al-Bukhaiti, a commentator close to the Houthis, underlined that the attacks were on a reciprocal basis and meant to disrupt the Houthi operations in support of Palestine.
The conflict is escalating, yet the leadership of Yemen vowed to keep their operations running against Israel until hostilities in Gaza are halted and the blockade lifted.
