Israel Responds to Drone Attack with Strikes on Houthis in Yemen

Israel launched air strikes on the Houthi movement in Yemen, following a drone attack that targeted Tel Aviv. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the strikes were meant to send a clear message to the Houthis.

“The fire that is currently burning in Hodeidah is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear,” Gallant said, referencing the visible damage from the strikes.

Houthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam condemned the Israeli action as “brutal aggression against Yemen,” asserting that the strikes aimed to pressure the Houthis into withdrawing their support for Palestinians in Gaza. He emphasized that such support would continue despite the attacks.

This marks the first time Israel has directly responded to what it claims are hundreds of drone and missile attacks from Yemen in recent months. The Israeli air strikes hit the Houthi-controlled Red Sea port of Hodeidah on Saturday evening. Footage from the area showed large fires, with the Houthi-run government in Sana’a reporting strikes on oil storage facilities and a nearby power plant, leading to civilian casualties.

Gallant justified the strikes, stating, “The Houthis attacked us over 200 times. The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking after the attacks, reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to self-defense. “Anyone who harms us will pay a very heavy price for their aggression,” he said, alleging that the port was a conduit for Iranian weapons.

On Friday, a drone hit a block of flats in Tel Aviv, killing a 50-year-old man from Belarus and injuring eight others. The Israeli military identified the drone as an Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that had been modified for long-distance flight. The Houthis, based over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) away in Yemen, claimed responsibility for the attack and promised more.

The Israeli military acknowledged detecting the incoming drone but cited “human error” as the reason for not intercepting it.