Israeli Military Strikes Houthi Targets in Yemeni Ports

July 7 (Reuters) – Israel has launched attacks on Houthi targets in three Yemeni ports and a power plant, marking the first Israeli assault on Yemen in almost a month.

The Israeli military stated that the strikes on Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and Salif ports, as well as the Ras Qantib power plant, were in response to repeated Houthi attacks on Israel.

Furthermore, Israel targeted the Galaxy Leader ship in Ras Isa port, which had been seized by the Houthis in late 2023.

The military explained, “The Houthi terrorist regime’s forces installed a radar system on the ship, using it to track vessels in international maritime space to aid the Houthi terrorist regime’s activities.”

Al-Masirah TV, a Houthi-run channel, reported that Israel conducted a series of strikes on Hodeidah following an evacuation warning issued by the Israeli military for people at the three Yemeni ports.

Hours before the attack, a ship off the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah was targeted, leading the crew to abandon the vessel as it began taking on water.

While no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, security firm Ambrey suggested that the vessel fit the typical profile of a Houthi target.

Since the Gaza war outbreak in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have fired at Israel and maritime vessels in the Red Sea, causing disruptions in global trade under the guise of solidarity with the Palestinians.

Although most missiles and drones fired by the Houthis towards Israel have been intercepted or failed to reach their targets, Israel has responded with a series of retaliatory strikes.

(Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari and Yomna Ehab and Menna Alaa El Din; writing by Yomna Ehab Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Diane Craft)

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