Saudi says closely monitoring air strike at Yemeni port with concern

Riyad: The Saudi Ministry of Defense stated that it had no connection or role in the targeting of Hodeida. Defense spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki said so in the wake of the bombardment of Hodeida port in the Yemeni territory controlled by the Houthi group. He also added that the country will not allow any party to violate its airspace.

The Houthi-controlled health ministry in Yemen said that the port strikes caused several deaths and injured people.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said that it is following the military developments in Yemen with great concern after the Israeli attack on Hodeida. It will double the current tension in the region and harm ongoing efforts to end the war on Gaza, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and distance the region and its people from the dangers of war. The international community and concerned parties must take responsibility for ending conflicts in the region, the Kingdom urged.

The foreign ministry also said that Saudi Arabia will continue its efforts to end the war in Gaza and will continue to support peace efforts to save its brothers in Yemen from further suffering and achieve security and peace in the region.

One day before the strikes on the port, a Houthi drone had bypassed Israel's air defences to enter its territory and kill a civilian in a Tel Aviv apartment building, Agence France-Presse reported. The alleged port strikes on Saturday must have been a retaliation.

Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, as unlawful in a landmark ruling.