JERUSALEM – The Israeli Air Force launched a concentrated offensive on Saturday against Yemen’s Houthi terrorist regime, which is backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“A short time ago, IDF warplanes struck military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime near the port of Hodeidah in Yemen in retaliation for hundreds of attacks carried out against the State of Israel in recent months,” an IDF statement said.
The IDF added that “there are no changes to Homefront Command’s defense guidelines. If there are any changes to the guidelines, the public will be updated accordingly.”
On Friday, the Houthis launched a lethal drone attack on Tel Aviv, killing one Israeli, wounding at least 10 and causing severe damage to buildings. The attack took place near the US Consulate in Tel Aviv.
Massive explosion hits Tel Aviv in the middle of the night
TOPSHOT – A handout photo obtained from Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah Media Center shows a huge pillar of fire erupting after a reported attack in the Yemeni rebel-held port city of Hodeidah on July 20, 2024. A series of attacks targeted Hodeidah on July 20, including one on a fuel depot at the port, according to AFP correspondents and Houthi media. (Photo credit -/Ansarullah Media Center/AFP via Getty Images)
After the Yemen attack, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said: “The fires that are burning in Yemen right now can be seen across the Middle East. This is the first time the Houthis have harmed Israeli citizens and we have attacked them, and we will attack wherever necessary.”
He added: “I have just left the IAF. [Israeli Air Force] At the command center, he met with the prime minister, the IDF chief of staff and the air force commander, and closely monitored attacks by Israeli air force planes on the port of Hodeidah. [in Yemen]2,000 kilometers from the state of Israel,” Gallant said, adding that the “importance” of the fires in Yemen was “clear” and that it was important to show Israel’s enemies what they were up against.
Gallant continued: “The Houthis have attacked us more than 200 times. We attacked them the first time they tried to harm the Israeli people, and we will do so wherever it is needed. There is a price to pay for the blood of the Israeli people. This has been made clear in Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen and elsewhere. If they dare attack us, the result will be the same.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Chief of Staff Helgi Halevi hold talks as Israeli warplanes strike Houthi positions in Yemen (Photo: Israeli Prime Minister’s Office) (Photo provided by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office)
The reference to Lebanon was directed at the terrorist regime of Hezbollah, Lebanon’s de facto rulers.
A Houthi spokesman said in a public Telegram message board message that the Israeli airstrikes targeted civilian facilities, oil tanks and a power plant in Hodeidah.
Houthi media reported several people were killed. According to Iran InternationalA senior Houthi leader told the pro-Hezbollah Lebanese news agency Al-Mayadeen that the Houthi regime would retaliate against Israel for any Israeli Defense Force attacks in Lebanon. Hezbollah, a US-designated terrorist organisation, Hamas, the Houthi regime and the Islamic Republic of Iran form an anti-American, anti-Israeli “axis of resistance”.
Iran International reported that an Israel Defense Forces strike on Saturday hit an oil refinery in the port of Hodeidah, citing a source cited by Al-Masirah TV, a main Houthi-run television station.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels use missiles and drones to attack two more ships in the Red Sea
An Israeli F-15 fighter jet en route to a strike in Yemen. (Photo: IDF Spokesperson Unit)
Saudi Arabia-owned Al Arabiya reported that 12 Israeli planes, including F-35s, attacked the port of Hodeidah.
Friday’s drone attack shocked Israelis because the country’s air defenses failed to intercept the deadly bullets, likely due to human error. Tel Aviv is the country’s second-largest city. The Israeli air strikes in Yemen are believed to be the IDF’s first attack on an Arab country devastated by Houthi attacks.
Prior to this, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant held a meeting to approve the operational plan with the IDF Chief of Staff, the Minister of Defense, the Commander of the Israeli Air Force, the Chief of Operations, the Chief of Intelligence, the Director of Strategic Affairs, the Director of Military Affairs at the Ministry of Defense, and the Director of Policy and Military Policy.
(The aftermath of a Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv. Noam Farakassa/TPS-IL)
“This morning we conducted an operational situation assessment to consider what measures are needed to strengthen our defenses in light of last night’s events, as well as necessary intelligence and operational action against those responsible for the attack,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement.
“2024 is a year of war. We have to be prepared for every scenario and every occasion,” he added.
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IDF spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari said on Friday that an “error” had occurred. “We are investigating the entire series of events,” he said.
“We are committed to protecting the Israeli people and our borders,” Hagari said. “Iran funds and arms terrorist organizations and directs attacks against Israel and the world. We will not allow Iran and its organizations to terrorize our civilians.”
A National Security Council spokesperson told Fox News that the US was not involved in the attack: “We have been in regular contact with Israel following Friday morning’s attack in Tel Aviv which killed Israeli civilians. We fully recognize and respect Israel’s right to self-defense. The United States was not involved in today’s attack in Yemen, nor did we coordinate or support the Israeli attack. Please contact Israel for more information.”
The Houthi slogan is “Allah is great, death to America, death to Israel, curse to the Jews, victory to Islam.”
