Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said that the Israeli military struck targets controlled by the Houthis in three Yemeni ports — Hudeidah, Ras Issa and Saif. That’s what he’s about wrote in the X social network.
Among the targets were the power plant and the commercial vessel Galax Leader. According to the minister, this ship, captured by the rebels two years ago, was used for “terrorist activities” in the Red Sea.
Katz noted that the strikes were part of Operation Black Flag and warned of a further response to the Houthi aggression:
“The fate of Yemen is the same as the fate of Tehran. Anyone who tries to harm Israel will suffer, and anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have their hand cut off.”
According to the Israeli Air Force, the ports targeted by the strikes are used by the Houthi group to receive weapons from Iran to “carry out terror plans against Israel and its allies.” In addition, the military reported damage to the Ras Qanatib power plant, which provides electricity to the cities of Ibb and Taiz. The reason for the attack was the repeated attacks of the Houthis on the territory of Israel.
The day before, the Israeli forces announced the evacuation of the civilian population in the areas of future strikes, warning of imminent airstrikes. Shortly after the shelling, the Houthis said that their air defense was able to repulse the missile strikes. After the shelling of the port city of Hodeidah on the coast of the Red Sea, the main power plant was disabled, which led to a complete blackout. There are currently no data on victims.
A few hours after the strikes, the Israeli military reported the launch of two rockets from the territory of Yemen and attempts to intercept them. Interception results are being refined. Israel’s emergency services said there were no reports of hits or casualties.
It will be recalled that the Houthis, supported by Iran, intervened in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has been raging in the Middle East since October 7, 2023, carrying out attacks on merchant ships and striking Israel with missiles and drones.
The group has said it intends to attack any ships bound for Israel, regardless of their country of origin, and has called on international shipping companies to stop working with Israeli ports. The organization, which controls most of Yemen’s territory, explained its actions in support of the Palestinian people and vowed to continue attacks until Israel stops its offensive on the Gaza Strip.
On March 4, the United States announced the inclusion of the Houthis in the list of terrorist organizations.
