The Israeli military confirmed on Monday that it conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Hodeidah Port, in response to a missile launched a day earlier by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels that landed near Israel’s main international airport.
In a statement, the Israeli military said it struck “terrorist targets” linked to the Houthis in and around Hodeidah. According to Yemen’s Houthi-run Saba news agency, the strikes killed at least one person and wounded at least 35, citing the health ministry.
Following the attacks, the Houthis sealed off the port area and nearby cement factory, according to three local sources. While the full extent of the damage remains unclear, the intensity of the strikes and resulting fires reportedly caused major destruction to the container berth. Two sources estimated that up to 70% of the port’s five docks, warehouses, and customs facilities were damaged. A port worker noted that the strikes occurred as two ships were unloading cargo, halting all port operations.
Hodeidah is the Red Sea’s second-largest port after Aden and handles around 80% of Yemen’s food imports. Five local residents told Reuters that more than 10 airstrikes hit the port as well as the Al Salakhanah and Al Hawak neighborhoods. Additionally, four airstrikes targeted a cement factory to the east of the city.
The Israeli military stated that the operation was in direct response to a series of Houthi attacks involving missiles and drones aimed at Israeli territory and civilians. Sunday’s missile was notably the first to evade interception by Israel’s air defense system since Houthi attacks began in March.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged retaliation for the missile strike. In response to the Israeli airstrikes, senior Houthi official Abdul Qader al-Mortada warned on X (formerly Twitter) that Israel should brace for the “unimaginable.”
The Houthis have resumed attacks on Israel and maritime targets in the Red Sea after briefly halting their operations during a temporary ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in Gaza. The group claims its actions are in solidarity with Palestinians amidst the ongoing Gaza conflict.
While a U.S. official confirmed that American forces did not directly participate in Monday’s airstrikes, they acknowledged that the U.S. and Israel are maintaining broad coordination on regional security matters.
Meanwhile, a Houthi-operated oil company announced the implementation of an emergency fuel distribution system for vehicles, citing difficulties in unloading fuel shipments at the Ras Isa oil terminal. The company attributed the logistical challenges to repeated U.S. airstrikes on Yemeni infrastructure, including the port.
U.S. President Donald Trump authorized widespread strikes against Houthi targets in March, resulting in hundreds of casualties across Yemen. Unlike the U.S., Israel has mostly refrained from striking targets in Yemen since December of last year.
In a separate development on Monday, Israel approved a controversial plan that may involve taking control of the Gaza Strip and regulating humanitarian aid into the enclave.
The war in Gaza began following Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli data. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has killed over 52,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, and caused extensive destruction throughout the territory.
