The Israeli military (IDF) reports that it attacked Houthi military targets at the city’s port on Saturday. The fighter jet strike was a response to hundreds of attacks once morest Israel in recent months, the IDF said in a statement.
Shortly before, the Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV channel had reported an attack on an oil warehouse at a port facility, and the channel claimed that Israel was behind it.
Three people were killed and 87 wounded, the Houthi-controlled health authorities told the channel. Most of them are said to have suffered serious burns.
Response to drone strikes
The attack came a day following a Houthi militia drone hit a building in Tel Aviv, killing one person.
In the followingmath of Saturday’s attack, Israel’s defense minister says that Israeli blood has a price and that the attack sends an important signal.
– The Houthis have attacked us over 200 times. The first time they inflicted harm on an Israeli citizen, we hit back, says Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in a statement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the port that was attacked was used to unload weapons from Iran.
Notified allies
The Houthis have claimed responsibility for a series of attacks once morest Israel, but Friday’s drone strike appears to be the first time that the Houthis have penetrated Israeli air defenses.
The Houthi leadership warns on Saturday that they will come up with an “effective response” once morest Israel.
The IDF says it informed allied countries of the attack plans in advance. By all accounts, this is the first Israeli attack on Yemeni soil since the war between Israel and Hamas began in October.
UN chief asks for restraint
UN Secretary-General António Guterres says via his spokesperson that he is very concerned regarding the reports he has received regarding the attack on Hodeida. He asks all involved to avoid attacks that might harm civilians and civilian infrastructure.
– The Secretary-General is still concerned regarding the risk of further escalation in the region and still asks all parties to exercise the greatest possible restraint, writes the spokesperson in a statement to the media.
– Warning to Iran
The attack was aimed at targets that had both civilian and military functions, according to the IDF.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz says the attack was also a warning to Iran, which supports the Houthi militia.
The Houthis have carried out a series of attacks once morest civilian shipping in the Red Sea, claiming that they are attacking ships linked to Israel. Under US leadership, a Western force has been deployed in the waters attacking Houthi targets a number of times.
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2024-07-21 04:00:57