Israel launched air strikes on Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Hodeidah early Saturday morning. This attack comes in retaliation for a Houthi drone attack that struck Tel Aviv the previous day, resulting in one casualty and at least ten injuries.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the strikes targeted what they described as “military installations” in Hodeidah, Al Jazeera reports.
Meanwhile, Yemeni media reported that the Israeli air raids hit fuel storage facilities and a power plant, resulting in widespread material destruction to industrial facilities. The exact number of victims remains unclear.
Videos of the aftermath of the airstrike are going viral on social media platforms. The footage shows raging fires emanating from the fuel facilities, with thick smoke filling the sky.
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اليمن الحديدة :عدوان إسرائيل يستهدف مدينة #الحديدة الساحلية على #البحرِ_الأحمر غرب #اليمن
العدوان على مدينة الحديدة نفذته مقاتلات إسرائيلية من طراز “أف 35”الغارات العدوانية #الإسرائيلية استهدفت خزاناً للوقود في ميناء الحديدة غرب اليمن
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— اليمن في عيون العالم (@Y0eme1n_1) July 20, 2024
This recent strike is part of an ongoing exchange between Israel and the Houthi rebels, who are allied with Iran and have been actively targeting international shipping lanes in the Red Sea.
The Houthis say the attacks are a response to Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza.
On Friday, a Houthi drone breached Israeli air defenses and struck a building in Tel Aviv.
The breach has been described as a major security lapse by Israeli officials, who have vowed a strong response. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant assured that the country would “settle the score” with those who jeopardize its security.
The United States and the United Kingdom have also been involved in airstrikes in Yemen targeting Houthi positions in response to the group’s Red Sea attacks. However, these efforts have so far failed to curb the Houthi aggression.
The prospects of an all-out war in the Middle East have been a mounting concern since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza on October 7.
The United Nations recently sounded the alarm of the “catastrophe beyond imagination” that could result from the looming war between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah and its implications for one of the world’s most fragile regions.