An Israeli military spokesman said Israeli warplanes had struck Houthi “military targets” in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, in what was noted as Israel’s first direct attack on Yemen.
At least three people were reported killed and 87 injured in the attack.
The statement claimed the attack was in retaliation for hundreds of attacks carried out by the Houthis against Israel.
The Israeli army said there was no change to the safety warning it had given to its citizens.
“There are dead and injured.”
The Houthi-affiliated Al Masira TV station announced that “the city of Hodeidah was the target of a series of bombs.”
News reports said many people suffered burns as a result of the attack.
Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abduslam said in a statement:
“This (cutting aid to Gaza) is a dream that will never come true. This attack will only increase the resolve and patience of the Yemeni people and army,” Abdulselam said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Job Gallant and Chief of Staff Helge Halevi monitored the attack from an operations center in Tel Aviv.
“This is a message to the whole Middle East.”
Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana shared photos on his social media account of fires that erupted after the attack in Hodeida, saying “this is a message to the entire Middle East.” He made the statement:
Israeli Defense Minister Gallant: If they dare attack us, the result will be the same
Defense Minister Yoav Galant made the statement in a video message following the airstrikes on the port of Yemen’s Red Sea city of Hodeidah.
Gallant said the Houthis had carried out more than 200 attacks against Israel and this was the first time they had harmed Israeli citizens, which he claimed was why they had targeted Hodeidah.
“The blood of the Israeli people has a price. This has been made clear in Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen and other places. If they dare attack us, the result will be the same,” Gallant said.
Gallant said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chief of Staff Gen. Hezi Halevi were closely monitoring the attack on the port of Hodeid, 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from Israel, adding that “the fires that are burning right now in Hodeid can be seen anywhere in the Middle East, and their significance is clear.”
Houthis: Israeli attack will get a response
“Israel launched a brutal attack on Hodeidah city, targeting civilian facilities within the city, including the power plant, Hodeidah port and fuel depots,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Seri said in a statement.
“We will respond to this blatant attack and will not hesitate to strike vital targets in Israel. As with our previous statements, we stress that Tel Aviv is not safe,” the statement said.
He noted that “we are preparing for a long war with our enemies” until attacks on the Gaza Strip are stopped, the blockade is lifted and all crimes against the Palestinian people are ended.
The statement said Israel’s attack on Yemen requires the entire Islamic world to take action in support of the Palestinian cause.
what happened?
A powerful explosion caused by a drone strike occurred near the US Embassy in central Tel Aviv at 3 a.m. local time on Friday, killing one person and injuring four others from shrapnel and the blast.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels said they had targeted Tel Aviv with a new type of unmanned aerial vehicle called “Yafa” that cannot be detected by radar or stopped by air defense systems.
The Houthis continue to target central Israel, announcing that Tel Aviv is a “danger zone” for them.
Israeli Defense Minister Job Gallant said the country would “take the necessary measures” in response to the drone attacks.
