The Israeli military reported intercepting a missile launched from Yemen early Sunday, shortly after Israeli warplanes targeted several Houthi sites in the Arabian Peninsula.
In retaliation for a deadly Houthi drone strike on Tel Aviv, Israeli airstrikes hit multiple Houthi targets in Yemen, marking the first known Israeli response to ongoing Houthi attacks during its nine-month conflict with Hamas.
This escalation between Israel and the Houthis risks opening a new front as Israel contends with various Iranian affiliates throughout the territory.
Late Saturday, the Israeli army confirmed the airstrikes in Hodeidah, a key Houthi stronghold and vital entry point for aid and supplies in western Yemen.
The strikes, involving dozens of aircraft, including U.S. made F-15 and F-35 warplanes, were in retaliation for hundreds of Houthi attacks.
Yemen’s Health Ministry stated that the Israeli airstrikes left six people dead and 83 injured, with many sustaining severe burns from a significant blaze.
The ministry also reported that three individuals are still missing, according to a statement released by the Houthi-operated al-Masirah TV.
On X, Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam denounced the “blatant Israeli aggression,” stating that it struck fuel storage facilities and the power station in the province.
Rebel leader Abdul-Malek al-Houthi criticized Israel for deliberately targeting these sites to undermine Yemen’s economy.
On Sunday, the Israeli military reported that a surface-to-surface missile launched from Yemen was intercepted before it reached Israeli territory. Early Friday, a Houthi drone managed to penetrate Israel’s air defenses and struck Tel Aviv, Israel’s major commercial center, killing one person.
Despite the extensive efforts by Israel, along with support from the U.S., U.K., and other Western allies, to intercept Houthi missiles and drones, this incident highlights a significant breach in their defense systems.
An Israeli Air Force official explained that a human error led to the drone being mistakenly identified as a non-threat. This oversight happened while Israel was tracking several drones approaching from Yemen.
Saturday’s airstrike on Hodeidah, located roughly 1,700 kilometers (over 1,000 miles) from Israel, was described by the Israeli military as one of its most complex and distant operations.
The strike targeted the port because it serves as a conduit for Iranian arms shipments to Yemen.
Israel’s Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, pledged to conduct similar strikes “wherever necessary.”
Several Iranian-backed factions, including the Houthis, have targeted Israel in support of Hamas following the Palestinian militant group’s attack on October 7. This assault triggered the current Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Besides its conflict with Hamas, the Israeli military is also engaged in ongoing skirmishes with the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.
These frequent confrontations have heightened fears of a potential escalation into a broader conflict involving Lebanon and possibly beyond.
Since 2014, Yemen has been involved in civil conflict, triggered by the Houthis’ capture of much of the northern territory and the subsequent retreat of the internationally recognized government from Sanaa.
The war escalated when a Saudi-led coalition stepped in to back the government, transforming the war into a proxy conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The war has claimed over 150,000 lives, encompassing both combatants and civilians and has led to one of the most devastating humanitarian emergencies worldwide.
According to the Houthis, Israel’s attacks will only bolster Yemen’s determination to support Gaza. Mohamed Ali al-Houthi of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council wrote on X, “We will respond with impactful strikes.”
Moatasem Abdel Salah, a resident of Sanaa, stated, “None of this will deter the Yemeni people or the Yemeni leadership, military, and missile forces from targeting Israeli entities.”
U.S. and U.K. forces have been striking targets in Yemen since January in response to Houthi attacks on commercial shipping, which the rebels have justified as retaliation for Israel’s actions in Gaza. However, many of the affected ships had no ties to Israel.
Officials reported on Sunday that the Houthis had carried out a new attack on a Liberia-flagged container ship navigating the Red Sea. This incident marks the latest in a series of assaults on this vital maritime trade route.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center reported that three small Houthi boats, an unmanned aerial vehicle, and missile fire targeted the vessel near Mocha, Yemen, causing “minor damage” to the ship.
The U.S. Navy’s Joint Maritime Information Center identified the vessel as the Pumba and confirmed that “all crew members are safe.”
On Sunday morning, the Houthis took credit for the assault on the Pumba. Despite long-standing claims by analysts and Western intelligence that Iran provides weaponry to the Houthis—a claim Iran refutes—the coalition’s airstrikes have so far been ineffective in curbing the group’s activities.
The Houthis possess long-range ballistic missiles, smaller cruise missiles, and “suicide drones,” all of which are capable of reaching southern Israel, according to weapons experts.
They frequently display their arsenal by parading new missiles through the streets of Sanaa.
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