Written by Ari Rabinovitch and Enas Alashray
JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) – Israeli warplanes struck a Houthi-held area in Yemen's Hodeidah port on Saturday, the Israeli military said, a day after a drone launched by an Iran-backed group struck Israel's economic hub Tel Aviv.
Al-Masirah TV, a major television news channel run by Yemen's Houthi movement, reported that the strikes targeted oil facilities in the port and caused casualties.
Residents of Hodeidah told Reuters by phone that explosions were heard throughout the city when the bombs went off, while Al-Masirah TV said security forces and firefighters were trying to put out the fire at oil tanks in the port.
An Israeli military spokesman said the port was used by the Houthis to receive arms shipments from Iran. The targets, more than 1,700 kilometers (1,056 miles) from Israel, include areas that have dual uses as energy infrastructure, he said.
The country of Israel had informed its allies before the strike, which the military said was carried out by Israeli F-15 fighters, that they all returned safely.
The Houthis' Supreme Political Council said there would be an “active response” to Israeli airstrikes. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree added that “they will not hesitate to strike the key enemies of the enemy of Israel.”
The strike in Yemen, which Israeli officials said came after more than 200 Houthi attacks on Israel, underscored fears that the war in Gaza, which began with a Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, could spark regional conflict.
“The fire currently burning in Hodeidah is visible in the Middle East and its importance is clear,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement.
“The Houthis have attacked us more than 200 times. The first time they hurt an Israeli citizen, we beat them. We will do this in any place where it may be necessary.”
On Friday, an Iranian-made drone that was built in Yemen crashed in central Tel Aviv in an attack claimed by the Houthis, killing one man and injuring four.
The attack follows daily escalation of fire between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon and comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to travel to Washington to address the US Congress.
Netanyahu called on the international community to increase pressure on Tehran and its sponsors – the Houthis, Hamas and Hezbollah – and in doing so help protect foreign trade routes.
“Anyone who wants to see a stable and safe Middle East needs to stand up to evil Iran, and support Israel's struggle against Iran and its proxies,” Netanyahu said.
As the war in Gaza continues, the Houthis have stepped up their attacks on Israel and the Western territories, claiming they are working with the Palestinians.
They began attacking Western ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden after Israel invaded the Gaza Strip following last year's Hamas offensive in southern Israel.
“Israel's brutal violence has targeted civilian buildings, oil facilities and a power station in Hodeidah aimed at pressuring Yemen to stop supporting Gaza,” said Mohammed Abdulsalam, the main negotiator of the Houthi movement, to X.
He said the attack “will only increase our resolve, resilience, and continuity”.
Egypt, which has been trying to help with Gaza's ceasefire and the release of hostages, said it was following the Israeli strike with “deep concern”. Hezbollah has condemned the port strike and said it is close to Yemen.
Hamas stormed Israeli cities on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli figures. Since then, approximately 39,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip, according to health authorities in the area.
