By Tel Aviv, Israel – Israeli fighter jets have continued to strike Houthi military targets in the area of Hodeidah port in Yemen on Saturday, the Israeli military said, a day after a drone launched by the Iranian-backed group hit Israel’s economic hub Tel Aviv.
In the latest bombardments, at least 20 people were wounded, most with severe burns, in airstrikes that targeted oil facilities and a power station at Hodeidah, Al-Masirah TV, the main television news outlet run by Yemen’s Houthi movement, quoted the health ministry as saying.
Hodeidah residents told Reuters by phone that explosions were heard throughout the city during an intensive bombardment and Al-Masirah TV said civil defense forces and firefighters were trying to extinguish fires in the port’s oil tanks.
Israel’s military spokesperson said the port had been used by the Houthis 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, he said.
Israel had informed allies before the strike, which the military said was carried out by Israeli F-15 fighters that all returned safely.
The Houthis’ Supreme Political Council said there would be an “effective response” to the Israeli airstrikes. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree also warned that the Houthis “will not hesitate to strike vital targets of the Israeli enemy.”
The drone attack on Tel Aviv on Friday killed one person and injured more than 10 others, raising fears that the Gaza war, triggered by the Hamas-led assault on Israel on Oct. 7, could spiral into a regional conflict.
The ongoing conflict in Hodeidah is raising alarms across the Middle East and globally, with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid warning of significant geopolitical ramifications. “The escalation in Yemen, particularly targeting crucial infrastructure, highlights the growing complexity of the regional conflict. Our operations aim to neutralize threats, but we urge international diplomacy to step in and prevent further deterioration,” Lapid stated.
REUTERS
