Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a violent wave of strikes against Yemen on September 29, mainly hitting targets in the Red Sea port city of al-Hodeida which is held by the Iran-backed Houthis (Ansar Allah)
According to the military, dozens of Israeli Air Force aircraft, including fighter jets, refuelers and spy planes, participated in the strikes some 1,800 kilometers from Israel.
The strikes targeted sites used by the Houthi regime for military purposes al-Hodeida and the nearby Ras Isa port in western Yemen, the IDF said in a statement.
“The IDF attacked power plants and a port, which are used to import oil. Through the targeted infrastructure and ports, the Houthi regime transfers Iranian weapons to the region, and supplies for military purposes, including oil,” it added.
The IDF noted that the strikes were carried out in response to the Houthis recent ballistic missile attacks on Israel, including three this month.
Yemen’s Al-Masirah TV confirmed that the ports of al-Hodeida and Ras Isa were both hit along with the al-Hali and al-Kathib power plants. The violent Israeli strikes sparked large fires, according to the Houthi-run news channel, which didn’t clarify if there were any casualties.
Citing unnamed Israeli officials, the Axios news site reported that the IDF launched the strikes against Yemen in coordination with the United States Central Command.
Following the attack, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, said on the X social network: “The message is clear, for us, no place is too far.”
Mohamad Abdulsalam, a spokesman for the Houthis, said that the strikes were an attempt to “break” the Yemeni decision to support the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip.
“The U.S.-backed Zionist aggression is condemned, denounced and rejected and cannot affect the will of the Yemeni people,” the spokesman said on X. “The Israeli aggression on Yemen reinforces the principled Yemeni role towards Palestine and Gaza.”
Since November, the Houthis have attacked dozens of vessels affiliated with Israel or owned by the U.S. and the United Kingdom in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea in response to the Israeli war on Gaza.
The group also launched dozens of drones and missiles at Israel and shot down at least nine American-made combat drones over Yemen and nearby waters.
The U.S. and the UK have carried out hundreds of strikes against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen since January. Israel also launched an attack against the Red Sea port of al-Hodeidah last July after a deadly Houthi drone strike on the city of Tel Aviv.
The strikes on Yemen have so far claimed the lives of more than 50 people, including civilians, and left over 200 others wounded. Nevertheless, they failed to deter the Houthis or degrade their military capabilities.
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