Israel Launches Strikes On Houthi Ports And Power Plant In Yemen

Israel has carried out airstrikes on three ports and a power station located in areas controlled by the Houthi rebel group in Yemen.

Israeli Defence Minister, Israel Katz said one of the main targets was the Galaxy Leader, a commercial vessel hijacked by the Houthis in 2023.

Israel claims the ship was being used to monitor movement of ships in international waters.

The Israeli military said on Sunday that it struck the ports of Hodeidah, Ras-Isa and as-Salif on the Red Sea coast as well as the Ras Kathib power plant.

Not long after, Israel said two missiles were fired from Yemen toward its territory.

Air raid sirens went off in multiple parts of Israel, though the military is still reviewing whether the incoming missiles were intercepted successfully.

In response, a spokesperson for the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, said their forces fired a large number of locally made surface-to-air missiles to try and stop the Israeli assault.

Yemeni media controlled by the Houthis confirmed that Israeli strikes hit Hudaydah but did not share any information about casualties or damage.

Minister Katz described the attacks as part of an ongoing military campaign called “Operation Black Flag,” warning the Houthis “will continue to pay a heavy price for their actions.”

He also issued a strong message online, saying that anyone who threatens Israel will face serious consequences.

“The fate of Yemen is the same as the fate of Tehran. Anyone who tries to harm Israel will be harmed, and anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have their hand cut off,” he said in a post on X.

Since the Israel-Hamas conflict began, the Houthis have fired several missiles at Israel in support of Gaza and have also targeted commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

Israel’s Air Force said these recent airstrikes were retaliation for repeated attacks by the Houthis.

They also accused the Houthis of using the ports to move weapons from Iran for planned attacks against Israel and its allies.

Israeli officials added that the Ras Kanatib power plant, which supplies electricity to cities like Ibb and Taizz, was also among the targets.

This latest round of airstrikes on Hudaydah follows earlier attacks by Israeli naval forces on the city’s port in both May and June.

The port is a key hub for bringing in food and humanitarian aid to millions of people in Yemen and has been hit several times over the past year.

This comes a few weeks after U.S President Donald Trump announced that Iran and Israel have agreed to a full ceasefire after 12-day war.