Israel launches strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen

Israel says it has launched strikes on three ports and a power plant in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed their targets included the commercial ship Galaxy Leader. The ship, hijacked by the rebel group in 2023, was used to monitor maritime vessels in international waters, Israel said.

After the Israeli attacks on Hudaydah, Ras Isa and Saif ports, two missiles were launched from Yemen into Israel, according to the Israeli military.

A spokesperson for the Iran-backed Houthi military group said following the attacks, the group’s air defences confronted the Israeli attack by using “a large number of domestically-produced surface-to-air missiles”.

Sirens were triggered in several areas of Israel in response to the missiles, with the military saying results from the interception remained “under review”.

Houthi-run media in Yemen said Israel’s strikes hit Hudaydah, but no further details were provided on damage or casualties.

Katz said the strikes were part of “Operation Black Flag” and warned that the Houthis “will continue to pay a heavy price for their actions”.

“The fate of Yemen is the same as the fate of Tehran. Anyone who tries to harm Israel will be harmed, and anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have their hand cut off,” he said in a post on X.

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have regularly launched missiles at Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea.

The Israeli Air Force said the latest strikes on Yemen’s ports were in response to “repeated attacks” by the Houthis on Israel and its citizens.

It added that the targeted ports were being used to “transfer weapons from the Iranian regime to carry out terror plans” against Israel and its allies.

Shortly after the attack, Houthis confirmed its air defences had confronted Israel’s strikes with missiles, according to Reuters news agency.

The Ras Kanatib power station which supplies electricity to the nearby cities of Ibb and Taizz, was also hit, Israel said.

This latest attack on Hudaydah comes after Israeli navy ships struck targets in the port city in May and June.

Hudaydah port, which is the main entry point for food and other humanitarian aid for millions of Yemenis, has been the target of several Israeli strikes in the past year.