Israel Retaliates: Strikes on Yemen After Houthi Drone Hits Tel Aviv

News Today: Israel launches air strikes in Yemen

Israel has launched air strikes on the Houthi-controlled Red Sea port of Hodeidah in Yemen, a day after a drone launched by the group hit Tel Aviv. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the strikes aimed to send a clear message to the Houthi movement. “The fire that is currently burning in Hodeidah is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear,” he said.

Houthi-linked news outlets reported that three people were killed and more than 80 injured in the Israeli strikes. Houthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam condemned the “brutal Israeli aggression against Yemen,” asserting that the strikes aimed to pressure the Houthis to stop supporting Palestinians in Gaza.

It marks the first time Israel has responded directly to what it says have been hundreds of Yemeni drone and missile attacks aimed at its territory in recent months. Footage from Hodeidah showed huge fires raging, with the Houthi-run government in Sanaa claiming Israel struck oil storage facilities and a nearby power plant.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that “IAF fighter jets conducted an extensive operational strike over 1,800km [1,118 miles] away against Houthi terrorist military targets” in Hodeidah. The operation was codenamed Outstretched Arm.

Mr. Gallant emphasized that Israeli jets struck in response to Houthi attacks that had harmed Israelis. “The Houthis attacked us over 200 times. The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them,” he said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel would defend itself “by all means” and warned that “anyone who harms us will pay a very heavy price for their aggression.”