The Israeli Air Force attacked Houthi targets in Yemen on Monday, acting after repeated missile and drone fire by the terrorist group against the Jewish state.
An Israeli official confirmed to JNS that drones were used in the strikes.
“The IDF has just struck terror targets of the Houthi terrorist regime at the port of Hudaydah and is vigorously acting against any attempt to restore the terror infrastructures that were previously attacked,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said.
“As I have clarified—the same rules apply to Yemen as to Tehran. The Houthis will pay a heavy price for launching missiles toward the State of Israel. We will continue to act at all times and in all places to defend the State of Israel.”
The Israel Defense Forces provided further details on the operation, saying that among the targets struck were engineering vehicles used to reestablish the port’s infrastructure, fuel containers, naval vessels and boats in the maritime zone adjacent to the port. The IAF also attacked additional Houthi terrorist infrastructure.
According to the military, the port has been used to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime for attacks on Israel and its allies. The IDF said it acted after detecting Houthi efforts to rebuild its terrorist infrastructure at the port.
“The Houthi terrorist regime exploits the maritime zone for the use of force and to carry out terrorist attacks against passing vessels and global maritime trade. The targets struck demonstrate how the Houthi terrorist regime utilizes civilian infrastructure for military and terrorist purposes,” the IDF said.
“The IDF will operate decisively against the repeated attacks of the Houthi terrorist regime against Israeli civilians, and remains determined to continue operating against any threat posed to the civilians of the State of Israel, wherever it is required,” the statement continued.
Hazam al-Assad, a senior member of the terrorist group’s “political” wing, tweeted that “attempts by the Zionist enemy to deter the Yemeni people from fulfilling their duty to support Gaza are doomed to failure.
“Our military operations deep into the entity [Israel] and our naval strikes targeting Israeli shipping will continue until the aggression stops and the siege on Gaza is lifted,” the terrorist spokesman added.
About four hours after it reported the strikes in Yemen, the IDF said that an enemy drone “launched from the east” had been intercepted, adding that in accordance with protocol, no alerts were issued.
The Yemeni National Resistance Force, loyal to the internationally recognized government fighting against the Houthi movement in the Yemeni Civil War, intercepted a “massive” shipment of Iranian weapons intended for the terrorist group, U.S. Central Command reported on July 16, highlighting Tehran’s active role in resupplying its terrorist proxy.
Monday’s operation at Hudaydah Port is Jerusalem’s most recent strike on the Houthis as part of an ongoing response to a wave of missile and drone attacks that began after the Hamas-led assault in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The IAF intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Houthi terrorists in Yemen on Friday night, the military said.
The attack triggered air-raid sirens across central Israel, including in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and parts of Judea and Samaria, sending millions of civilians rushing to bomb shelters during Shabbat.
There were no reports of injuries or damage.
On Wednesday, Israeli air defense systems shot down another projectile fired from Houthi-controlled territory, this time heading toward southern Israel near the Dead Sea and Negev regions.
A day earlier, the IDF intercepted a drone launched from Yemen.
The Houthis have in recent months escalated attacks on Israel, including a direct hit near Ben-Gurion International Airport on May 4.
In response, IAF fighter jets earlier this month carried out a series of strikes targeting Houthi infrastructure in Yemen—including facilities at the ports of Al Hudaydah, Ras Isa, and Salif, as well as a power plant. The operation involved approximately 20 aircraft and the deployment of more than 50 munitions.
An operation in May called “Golden Jewel” targeted the airport in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.
