Israel’s military intensified its aggression in the Middle East, launching devastating airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi-controlled ports of Hodeidah, Ras-Isa, and as-Salif, alongside the Ras Kathib power plant.
The attacks, executed late on Sunday, also targeted a radar system on the Galaxy Leader ship, docked in Hodeidah since its seizure by the Houthis.
These strikes mark Israel’s first assault on Yemen in nearly a month, following the interception of a Houthi missile earlier that day.
The Houthis, who control Yemen’s most populous regions, responded by launching two missiles toward Israel, setting off sirens in Jerusalem, Hebron, and near the Dead Sea.
The Houthis, citing solidarity with Palestinians facing Israel’s genocide in Gaza, have fired hundreds of missiles at Israel since the war on the besieged Strip began in 2023.
A Houthi spokesman, Ameen Hayyan Yemeni, claimed their air defenses forced “a large portion” of Israel’s warplanes to retreat, using locally-manufactured surface-to-air missiles that caused “great confusion among enemy pilots.”
Al Jazeera’s Nabil Alyousefi reported from Sanaa that the Houthis downplayed the strikes’ impact, asserting their forces repelled the assault with no reported losses.
The group emphasized their readiness to counter future Israeli attacks and target Israeli territory in retaliation.
Israel’s attacks on Yemen coincide with its ongoing military operations, including the systematic targeting of Gaza’s healthcare system and strikes in Lebanon, Syria, and Iran.
The bombings follow a fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, which Israel continues to violate with sporadic attacks, without offering evidence to its claims against the group.
The escalation in Yemen, coupled with a recent attack on a Red Sea cargo ship matching the Houthi target profile, underscores the broader regional instability.
As ceasefire negotiations in Gaza stall and tensions with Iran escalate, Israel’s ongoing military campaign threatens to further destabilize the Middle East.