Israel attacks Houthis in Yemen, warns to ‘hunt’ leaders
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Photo: AFP
Jerusalem: In response to missile and drone launches, Israel struck Houthi sites in Yemen on Friday, including a power station and coastal ports, and threatened to seek out the group's leaders.
“A short while ago... fighter jets struck military targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime on the western coast and inland Yemen,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
It claimed the operations were carried out in response to Houthi missile and drone launches into Israel.
According to the statement, the targets included “military infrastructure sites in the Hizaz power station, which serves as a central source of energy” for the Houthis.
It claimed to have also targeted military infrastructure in the ports of Hodeida and Ras Issa. Following the raids, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the Houthis were being punished for their repeated attacks on his country, AFP reported.
“As we promised, the Houthis are paying, and they will continue to pay, a heavy price for their aggression against us,” he said.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would “hunt down the leaders of the Houthi terror organization.”
“The Hodeida port is paralyzed, and the Ras Issa port is on fire — there will be no immunity for anyone,” he said in a video statement.
Since October 2023, when war broke out in Gaza, the Houthis, who control Sanaa, have launched missiles and drones towards Israel. They refer to the attacks as gestures of solidarity with Gazans.
The Iran-backed rebels also went after ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, sparking retaliation from the US and, on occasion, Britain. Israel has also targeted Houthi positions in Yemen, including the capital.
Since the beginning of the Gaza war, the Houthis have launched approximately 40 surface-to-surface missiles against Israel, the majority of which have been intercepted, according to the Israeli army. The military has reported the launch of over 320 drones, with over 100 intercepted by Israeli air defences.