Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen after Houthi missile launch

The Israeli air force struck targets in Yemen on Thursday morning, reportedly killing nine people, in a pre-planned operation shortly after an attempted Houthi missile attack on Israel.

Officials told Al Masirah TV, a broadcaster operated by the Iran-backed Houthi rebel movement which controls much of Yemen, that seven people were killed in a strike on the port of Salif and the others in two strikes on the nearby Ras Issa oil facility.

Injuries were also reported just down the coast at the port of Hodeida, while further strikes reportedly targeted two power stations near the capital, Sanaa, further inland.

What did Israel say about the operation?

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the operation, saying it "conducted precise strikes on Houthi military targets in Yemen, including ports and energy infrastructure in Sanaa."

"The strikes degrade the Houthi terrorist regime, preventing it from exploiting the targets for military and terrorist purposes, including the smuggling of Iranian weapons to the region," the IDF said on X, formerly Twitter.

The strikes came shortly after a Houthi missile attack on central Israel. But an Israeli military official was cited by the Associated Press as saying the Israeli strikes on Yemen were not a direct response to the missile hit, but rather a pre-planned response to months of Houthi aggression.

Firefighters rushed to extinguish fires at a power station near Sanaa following Israeli airstrikesImage: Khaled Abdullah/REUTERS

Israel intercepts Houthi missiles

Just before the Yemen strikes, Israeli air defenses intercepted at least one missile launched from Yemen.

A Houthi military spokesman claimed the attack in a prerecorded video statement, saying the rebels fired two of "Palestine" ballistic missiles at Israel.

"Rocket and missile sirens were sounded following the possibility of falling debris from the interception," the IDF said, adding that a missile had been intercepted just before entering Israeli airspace.

Debris from a projectile nevertheless reportedly damaged a school building in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan, though no injuries were reported.

"I urge the leaders of the Houthi organization to see, to understand and to remember: whoever raises a hand against the state of Israel, his hand will be cut off," said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, referring to the retaliatory strikes.

"Whoever harms us will be harmed sevenfold," he said.

Iran condemns Israeli strikes

Iran, which supports the Houthis and is suspected of delivering weapons to the group via the Hodeida port, condemned the Israeli strikes.

Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei called the attacks "a flagrant violation of the principles and norms of international law and the UN Charter."

Since the outbreak of the current conflict , Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthis have staged frequent attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and launched missiles at Israel, saying their attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

In response, western powers including the United States and the United Kingdom have launched a series of strikes on Houthi targets in the region, including "a key command-and-control facility" in Sanaa on Monday, according to the US military's Central Command.

But Israel appears to have carried out Thursday's strikes alone, with a US military official telling the Associated Press that Washington had played no part.

The October 7, 2023 terror attack by Hamas and other militants on southern Israel, which left 1,200 killed with some 250 more taken hostage, has fueled the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza, where local authorities say at least 45,000 have so far been killed.

mf/rmt (AFP, AP, Reuters)