Click to see full-size image. (Israeli Defense Forces)
Israel carried out late on May 5 a series of strikes on the western Yemen province of al-Hodeidah in response to the recent missile attack on Ben Gurion Airport which was claimed by the Houthis (Ansar Allah).
In a statement, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), said that some 20 fighter jets of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) targeted infrastructure in the province, including at the al-Hodeidah port and a concrete factory near the nearby city of Bajil. The jets dropped 50 munitions on the targets, which are controlled by the Houthis.
In addition to the fighter jets, refuelers and spy planes of the IAF also participated in the attack on al-Hodieidah, some 2,000 kilometers away from Israel.
Click to see full-size image. (Israeli Defense Forces)
Click to see full-size image. (Israeli Defense Forces)
Justifying the attack on the infrastructure, the IDF said that the Hodeidah port was used by the Houthis “for the transfer of Iranian weapons, equipment for military needs, and other terror purposes.”
The Bajil concrete factory “serves as an important economic resource for the Houthi terror regime and is used for building tunnels and military infrastructure,” the military added, noting that the strikes “constitute a blow to the regime’s economy and its military buildup.”
“The strike was conducted in response to the repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel, during which surface-to-surface missiles and UAVs [Unmanned Aerial Vehicle] were launched toward Israeli territory and its civilians,” the IDF concluded.
No casualties were reported in al-Hodeidah port. However, two people were killed and at least 42 others were wounded at the Bajil concrete factory, according to the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.
The Houthis’ May 4 missile attack on Ben Gurion in central Israel forced the airport to halt operations for a while, with some airlines suspending flights for days. Later, the group announced that it will be imposing “a comprehensive air blockade on Israel.”
This was the sixth Israeli attack on Yemen since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip, and the first since January of this year.
The IDF had refrained from responding to Houthi missile and drone strikes since the United States launched a large-scale operation in Yemen last March.
Nasruddin Amer, head of the Houthi media office, later said the Israeli strikes would not deter the group, and vowed that they would respond to the attack.
“The aggressive Zionist-American raids on civilian facilities will not affect our military operations against the Zionist enemy entity,” he said in a social media post.
Netanyahu on May 4 vowed a tough response against the Houthis, as well as their main backer, Iran, over the airport attack. Iran denied supporting the attack on Ben Gurion Airport and warned that it would retaliate against any attack on its territory.
“Iran underlines (its) firm determination… to defend itself,” the Iranian foreign ministry said, warning Israel and the United States of “consequences.”
Overall, the Israeli attack on Yemen appears to be just the start. With the IDF preparing to launch a final offensive in Gaza, fire could soon spread all over the Middle East.
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