Powerful airstrikes rocked the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah in Yemen, just a day after Israeli officials vowed revenge for a drone attack that struck Tel Aviv. The airstrikes hit a refinery and electricity infrastructure, sparking a huge blaze.
This was the first direct attack on Yemen by Israel since Houthi rebels there began targeting Israel with missiles and drones last year. Until Friday's strike on Tel Aviv, which killed one person and injured at least 10, all of the Houthi attacks had been intercepted by Israeli defenses.
The Almasirah television channel, run by Yemen's Houthi movement, reported that the airstrikes had targeted the city of Hodeidah. Images circulating on social media, though not immediately verifiable, showed vast plumes of smoke and fire next to the port. Almasirah said three people were killed and 87 wounded in the strikes on the oil facilities.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that its fighter jets had struck military targets in the Hodeidah Port "in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the state of Israel in recent months." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the port was targeted because it was being used "for military purposes."
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that "the fire that is currently burning in Hodeidah is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear... 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."
The Houthis vowed to "plague" Israel with further attacks in response to the strikes. Almasirah TV initially attributed the strikes to US and British forces but later withdrew that reference, according to Reuters. However, the Saudi Arabian outlet Al Arabiya, citing unnamed sources, said the strikes were carried out in a joint operation by Israel, the US, and the UK, with 12 Israeli aircraft participating.
Four US officials told the New York Times that Israel acted alone in the attacks, with no US military involvement.
The latest airstrikes in Hodeidah follow a vow by Gallant to "settle the score" after a Houthi drone struck central Tel Aviv, killing one man and injuring 10 others. The Houthis claimed they had used a new type of drone undetectable to radar and air defense systems, but Israeli officials blamed "human error" and said the military was investigating what went wrong.
The IDF said a barrage of 40 rockets targeted the occupied Golan Heights and Galilee on the day after the drone attack, challenging Israeli air defenses. The Houthis have been targeting ships in the Gulf of Aden and disrupting maritime activity in the Red Sea for months in response to Israeli attacks in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the US and UK have struck the port city of Hodeidah repeatedly in response, despite the Houthis' pledges to continue their attacks as long as the war in Gaza goes on. Israeli air, naval, and artillery strikes on the enclave have killed more than 38,000 people since October.
The tensions come as Netanyahu prepares to travel to the US to address Congress on Wednesday, amid growing domestic and international pressure to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza and to bring hostages home. This pressure was deepened by a ruling from the UN's International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Friday, which found that Israel's settlement policies and occupation of the West Bank break international law.
The ICJ ordered Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories "as rapidly as possible" and make full reparations. The US criticized the "breadth" of the ruling, saying it would "complicate efforts to resolve the conflict." However, the UK restated its commitment to a two-state solution and announced it would resume funding to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
The tensions and competing claims over the region's future continue to escalate, with both sides entrenched in their positions and unwilling to compromise. The path to a lasting peace remains elusive, as the cycle of violence and retaliation shows no signs of abating.
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