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THE WEEK
Retaliating to the drone attack on Tel Aviv, Israeli jets struck Houthi military targets near Yemen’s Hodeidah port on Saturday. The attack on oil facilities and a power station killed three people and hurt 87, according to Al-Masirah TV run by Yemen’s Houthi movement.
This came a day after a drone attack on Tel Aviv by Houthis killed a 50-year-old man and injured eight others on Friday. The attack was carried out by an Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), modified to fly long distances. Though the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) detected the incoming drone, it did not intercept it because of “human error”.
After sending IDF F-15 fighters to Yemen on Saturday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said his country aimed to send a message to the Houthi movement. “The fire that is currently burning in Hodeidah, is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear,” he said. “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,” Gallant added.
An IDF statement said the Houthis had been using the Hodeidah port to receive weapons shipments from Iran. The targets, more than 1,700 km (1,056 miles) from Israel, included dual-use sites such as energy infrastructure. “After nine months of continuous aerial attacks by the Houthis in Yemen toward Israel, IAF [Israeli Air Force] fighter jets conducted an extensive operational strike over 1,800km [1,118 miles) away against Houthi terrorist military targets in the area of the port of Hodeidah. The IDF is capable of operating anywhere required and will strike any force that endangers Israelis,” the statement said, adding that Saturday’s operation was codenamed Outstretched Arm.
An Israeli F15 Fighter Jet on its way to conduct air strikes in Yemen is seen at an unidentified location in this handout photo | ReutersMeanwhile, explosions rocked Hodeidah as firefighters and defence forces battled to extinguish fires in the port’s oil tanks, Reuters quoted residents of the Yemeni port city.
The Houthis have vowed to hit back with military spokesperson Yahya Saree stating the Houthis will not hesitate to strike vital targets of the Israeli enemy. The Houthi Supreme Political Council, the movement’s executive body, said there would be an “effective response” to the airstrikes.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani too condemned the Israeli attacks. It warned against the risk of escalation of tension and the spread of war in the region as a result of the “dangerous adventurism of the Zionists,” Iranian state media reported. Militant group Hezbollah also condemned the attack on Hodeidah, describing it as “a foolish step … that marks a new and dangerous phase of the extremely important ongoing confrontation.”
As Israel’s war in Gaza continues, the Houthis have targetted Israel with drones, attacking Israeli and Western ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Saudi Arabia reacts
A Saudi Ministry of Defence spokesperson said that the kingdom was not involved in or participating in the targeting of Hodeidah. It added Saudi Arabia “will not allow its airspace to be infiltrated by any party” whatsoever.
Egypt, which has been trying to help broker a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, said it was following “with great concern” the Israeli strike.