An oil installation engulfed in fire at the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah after Israeli airstrikes, on July 20, 2024. (Photo: Ansar Allah Media Centre handout via X)
New Delhi: In an escalation of regional tensions, the Israeli military has launched airstrikes on several targets in Yemen linked to the Houthi rebel group – also known as Ansar Allah (supporters of God) – in the western part of the country, following a deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv. The Israeli Defence Forces reported that they targeted military installations in the port city of Hodeidah, on a known Houthi stronghold.
This marks what appears to be Israel’s first direct engagement on Yemeni soil since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October.
On the Israeli action, the country’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said, “The Houthis have launched over 200 attacks against us. Upon the first Israeli casualty, we retaliated. We will continue to do so wherever necessary.”
The Houthi-controlled health ministry in the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, reported that three people were killed and 87 were wounded in the strikes, with many sustaining severe burns. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam claimed that the Israeli offensive targeted fuel storage facilities and a power station and accused Israel of seeking to exacerbate the suffering of Yemeni civilians.
#BREAKING
— War Intel (@warintel4u) July 20, 2024
The people of Yemen are now officially in a direct clash with the Zionist entity and got rid of the proxies that were acting on behalf of Israel
If Yemen struck Tel Aviv yesterday, they can strike Israeli oil reservoirs tomorrow
We entered a new phase of the war pic.twitter.com/PVEIkU2IFd
An IDF official, speaking on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the port of Hodeidah is a primary entry point for Iranian weaponry but declined to confirm whether this was Israel’s inaugural attack on Yemen.
The strikes come in response to a Houthi drone attack in central Tel Aviv on Friday, which resulted in one fatality and injured at least 10 others near the US embassy, as reported by India Sentinels.
This development raises concerns about the potential expansion of the conflict beyond Gaza, as Israel continues to confront groups aligned with Iran across the region.
Houthi leaders have vowed retaliation, with Mohamed Ali al-Houthi of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council warning of “impactful strikes” to come. The situation remains volatile, with fears of further escalation in an already tense Middle Eastern landscape.
