Israel launches intense airstrikes on Houthi-held ports

Late on Sunday night, Israel began a series of airstrikes against Yemen’s Red Sea ports in the western province of Hodeidah. Minutes after the Israeli military posted an urgent evacuation alert on the social media site X, the strikes took place. The port of Hodeidah was one of several sites along Yemen’s western coast where witnesses reported explosions. “The strikes targeted what he described as Houthi strongholds, including the ports of Hodeidah, As Salif, and Ras Isa, the Ras Katib power station, and the Galaxy Leader, a ship captured by Houthi forces in November 2023,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

The Israeli military said the targeted ports had been used by the Houthis to “transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, which are then used to carry out terror operations against the State of Israel and its allies.” It added that the Galaxy Leader had been equipped with a radar system used to track vessels in the Red Sea, facilitating further militant activities.

Taking to X, the Israel Defense Forces wrote: “IAF jets, guided by intelligence, struck Houthi terror targets at the ports of Al Hudaydah, Ras Isa, Salif, and the Ras Kanatib Power Plant. The strikes targeted sites used to transfer Iranian weapons and attack Israeli civilians with UAVs & missiles. Among the targets: the Galaxy Leader ship seized by the Houthis in 2023 and fitted with a radar system to track international vessels for terror operations. The IDF will continue to act against threats to Israeli civilians—wherever required.”

Earlier on Sunday, a missile fired by Houthi forces triggered air raid sirens in southern Israel and was intercepted without causing injuries, according to the Israeli military. The Houthis claimed it was a hypersonic missile targeting Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. Israel has carried out several strikes on key ports and infrastructure in Yemen in recent months, as the Houthis continue to fire missiles toward Israel, citing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.