Houthis Defiant After Unprecedented Israeli Naval Attack
Newsweek has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment.
The port attack comes as the Yemeni Houthis have defied Israel by targeted its Ben Gurion international airport with ballistic missiles, including one last month that the Israeli missile defense systems failed to intercept, causing a brief disruption of air traffic.
Israel is currently facing the Houthi threat alone after the United States signed a ceasefire agreement with the Iranian-backed rebel group, which has in the past disrupted maritime navigation through the Red Sea and whose capabilities were not neutralized despite heavy U.S. airstrikes for over a month.
Nasruddin Amer, Head of Houthi-controlled Saba News Agency said the recent Israeli port attack has "no significant impact" on the group's "preparations for escalation and expansion of operations deep inside the Zionist enemy entity," he wrote on his X account in a reference to Israel.
"It has no impact even on the morale of our people who take to the streets weekly by the millions in support of Gaza," he added. In a separate post, Amer alleged that Israel carried a naval aggression to avoid air force defeat by the Houthis.
The IDF said that the navy's operational flexibility with close range strikes had allowed it to hit targets at Hodeida port that the air force had struggled to neutralize in around 10 prior airstrikes on the Houthis since mid-2024, according to The Jerusalem Post.
The Houthis have warned international vessels from carrying weapons to Israel through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab with the threat of possible attacks.
The Houthis say they are acting in support of Gaza, which has been devastated by an Israeli offensive since Hamas launched an attack on Israel from there in October 2023.
Nasrudding Amer wrote on X: "Have the skies of Yemen become closed to American, Zionist and other aircraft?! The coming days will answer these questions and others."
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on X: "Israeli Navy Missile Ships struck terror targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime in the Hudaydah Port in Yemen. These strikes were conducted in response to repeated missile and UAV attacks on Israeli territory. The Hudaydah Port is used to transfer weapons and to exploit civilian infrastructure in order to advance terrorist activities."
The Houthis have vowed to uphold a naval blockade on Israel-linked vessels passing through the Red Sea as well as attacks targeting Ben Gurion airport, with Israel pledging to deliver a powerful response.
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