Israel confirms retaliatory airstrikes on Yemen
Israel confirmed carrying out airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on Thursday.
An Israeli Air Force jet prepares to take off for airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on Dec. 19, 2024. Photo by IDF Spokesperson/TPS-IL
“The Houthi terrorist regime has repeatedly attacked the State of Israel and its citizens, including in UAV and surface-to-surface missile attacks on Israeli territory,” the Israel Defence Forces said.
Targets included Houthi infrastructure at the Sana’a International Airport, two power stations, and the Iran-backed terror group’s assets at the Red Sea ports of Al-Hudaydah, Salif, and Ras Kanatib.
“These military targets were used by the Houthi terrorist regime to smuggle Iranian weapons into the region and for the entry of senior Iranian officials. This is a further example of the Houthis’ exploitation of civilian infrastructure for military purposes.”
Israeli leaders have increased their focus on the Houthis since the start of a ceasefire with Hezbollah, the collapse of Syria’s pro-Iran government, and Iraq’s Shi’ite militias ceasing their attacks.
Since Hamas’s October 7 attack, the Houthis have launched more than 200 missiles and 170 drones at Israel. The majority have been intercepted before reaching Israeli airspace.
The United Nations Security Council is due to discuss the Houthi attacks on Monday at Israel’s request.
The Houthis vowed in early December to target any Israel-bound ship in the Red Sea, regardless of its ownership. They have attacked or harassed around 100 ships, hijacked the MV Galaxy Leader in November 2023 and are holding its crew of 25 hostage.
From bases along the Yemeni coast, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have threatened ships in the Red Sea as they traverse the Bab el-Mandeb Straits, a narrow maritime choke point between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. The majority of the world’s oil passes through the strait from the Indian Ocean towards the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea.
