Israel launched airstrikes on Yemen’s Hodeidah port in retaliation for a Houthi missile strike near Tel Aviv airport, escalating regional tensions.
Israel launched airstrikes on Yemen’s Hodeidah port city early Monday, a day after a Houthi-fired ballistic missile landed near Israel’s main international airport, Ben Gurion, injuring several people. The attack marks a significant escalation in cross-regional hostilities and underscores growing tensions between Israel and Iran-aligned Houthi militants in Yemen.
Visuals from Hodeidah showed massive explosions and smoke plumes rising from the targeted port area, which is under Houthi control. According to Houthi-run Al Masirah TV, at least six strikes hit the port city. The outlet blamed both Israel and the United States for the aerial assault, though there has been no official confirmation from either Washington or Tel Aviv as of this writing.
Israeli media, including Channel 12, cited senior government sources confirming that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had carried out the strikes. The operation reportedly followed coordination with the U.S., according to Axios journalist Barak Ravid, who quoted a senior American official.
The military action comes in response to a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis on Sunday, which struck an area close to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. It was the first known missile from Yemen to bypass Israel’s advanced air defense systems since the current wave of Houthi attacks began in March. While Israel has successfully intercepted most projectiles, this incident raised fresh concerns over security gaps.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed retaliation shortly after the missile attack, reiterating Israel’s policy of firm response to any threats to its national security. The Houthis, for their part, have repeatedly claimed their actions are acts of solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict and have targeted both Israeli territory and international shipping routes in the Red Sea.
Monday’s strikes follow a series of previous Israeli responses to Houthi drone and missile assaults over the past year. However, the involvement of Hodeidah — a critical port for Yemen’s humanitarian supplies — has raised alarm among international observers concerned about potential civilian casualties and the exacerbation of the country’s humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, media in Yemen also reported separate U.S. strikes near the capital Sanaa earlier the same day, though it remains unclear if those operations were part of a coordinated campaign or separate actions targeting other regional threats.
The situation remains fluid, with potential for further escalation as tensions flare between regional players. International diplomatic channels have yet to respond publicly to the latest developments.
(Inputs from agencies)