Israel Hits Houthi Targets in Yemeni Port to Halt Missile Fire
Defense Minister Israel Katz said the attack was intended to prevent attempts by the Iranian-backed group to restore damaged infrastructure. The Israeli military said it targeted vehicles the Houthis were using to rebuild port infrastructure, as well as fuel storage sites and naval vessels.
'The Houthis will pay a heavy price for firing missiles at the State of Israel,' Katz said.
Despite repeated Israeli strikes on the strategic port of Hodeida and sites such as the airport in the capital Sanaa — both in Houthi-controlled territory — the group has maintained regular missile attacks on Israel and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
The Houthis began strikes in solidarity with Palestinians after Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza started in October 2023.
The militant group — which took control of Yemen's capital in 2014 — attacked two cargo ships in the Red Sea earlier this month, sinking both and killing several seafarers. They were the first assaults on merchant shipping since November.
The resumption of shipping attacks comes after a ceasefire between the group and the US, announced by President Donald Trump in May. That followed an intense US bombing campaign on Houthi targets. Trump's officials said the campaign significantly weakened the Houthis, though critics said it was a costly exercise that drained American munitions stockpiles.
The Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV confirmed on Monday that the Israeli military had launched a series of air strikes on Hodeida.
Israel's military said the port has been used, among other things, to transfer weapons from the Iranian government and as a hub for the attacks on passing vessels.
With assistance from Mohammed Hatem and Verity Ratcliffe.
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