Israel has conducted airstrikes on the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah in Yemen, just a day after a drone launched by the Houthis struck a block of flats in Tel Aviv. The Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, framed the strikes as a message to the Houthi movement, emphasizing their regional implications.
The Houthi-linked media reported casualties from the airstrikes, with three people killed and over 80 injured. Mohammed Abdulsalam, a Houthi official, condemned the airstrikes as “brutal Israel aggression against Yemen.”
The drone attack on Tel Aviv, attributed to an Iranian-made UAV modified for long-distance flight, resulted in the death of a Belarusian immigrant and injuries to eight others. Israeli authorities acknowledged a failure in intercepting the drone due to what they termed as “human error,” marking a rare successful strike against Israeli territory by the Houthis.
The Houthi Supreme Political Council responded swiftly, promising an “effective response” to the Israeli airstrikes. This exchange of hostilities underscores a growing conflict in the region, involving not only Yemen but also geopolitical players such as Iran, Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
While Israel’s direct involvement in Yemen is unprecedented, the U.S. and UK have been engaged in military operations against the Houthis for months. These efforts aim to safeguard commercial shipping routes in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, which have increasingly come under threat from Houthi attacks.
The situation remains tense as both sides brace for potential further escalations. International observers fear the conflict could broaden, drawing in more regional and global actors and exacerbating the already dire humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
