The Israeli strike on the Houthi rebels in Yemen early on Thursday, disabled three sea ports, Yemen media affiliated with the rebels said. The purpose of the Israeli attacks was to deal a significant financial blow to the Yemeni rebel forces.
The strikes were weeks in the planning and were carried out by dozens of fighter jets who also bombed the tug boats that bring ships into the ports. The military said the timing of the attack on the Houthis was decided according to operational considerations and was not in direct response to the ballistic missile fired at Israel overnight.
In the Yemen capital of Sanaa, which came under Israeli attack for the first time, the planes targeted fuel storages and a power station.
At least nine people were killed at the Ras Issa oil facility and others were hurt in seven strikes on the ports, local media claimed and according to reports in the Saudi Arabian press, in all, there were 16 strikes in the Israeli attacks that included the port city of Hodeida and the capital Sanaa.
Israeli strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen
A senior official for the Houthis said that the strikes by Israel and the U.S. forces on civilian instillations including power stations and ports, reveal the hypocrisy of the West and said attacks in support of Gaza would continue and escalate in response to the escalations of the Israeli strikes.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagai said that the strikes aimed to degrade Houthi military capabilities and prevent the use of targeted facilities for military operations, including the smuggling of Iranian weapons.
3 View gallery
Defense Minister Israel Katz during the Israeli strike against Houthis in Yemen
(Photo: IDF)
Defense Minister Israel Katz made explicit threats warning Houthi leaders that Israel's "long hand" would find them. "Anyone who lifts a hand against Israel, his hand will be cut off," he said.