SANA’A: Israeli warplanes launched a series of airstrikes overnight on positions held by Yemen’s Houthi movement, in what Israel says was a direct response to repeated missile and drone attacks launched by the Iran-backed rebels against southern Israel and Red Sea shipping.
According to Yemeni security sources and local witnesses, the strikes hit Houthi military facilities in the capital Sana’a and the port city of Hodeidah. Explosions were heard for miles, with plumes of smoke rising above key military compounds.
The Houthis confirmed the attacks but vowed retaliation. “These Zionist crimes will not go unanswered,” said a Houthi military spokesperson in a televised statement, accusing Israel of “aggression against Yemen’s sovereignty.”
The Israeli military said in a statement that its fighter jets “struck multiple legitimate military targets used by the Houthi terrorist organization,” including drone launch sites and weapons depots. Israel claims these facilities were responsible for repeated long-range drone and missile attacks, which have intensified since the start of the Gaza war last year.
Casualty figures remain unclear. Houthi-controlled media reported at least 12 deaths, including civilian casualties, while local medics said hospitals in Sana’a were treating dozens of injured.
The strikes mark a major escalation in Israel’s ongoing effort to counter Iran-aligned groups across the region. For months, the Houthis have attacked international shipping in the Red Sea and launched missiles toward Israel in a show of solidarity with Hamas.
Regional and international powers have urged restraint, warning that the conflict risks spiraling into wider war. The United Nations’ special envoy for Yemen condemned the strikes and called for all parties to avoid further escalation.
The Saudi-led coalition, which has fought the Houthis since 2015, was reportedly informed in advance of the Israeli operation, but did not participate directly.
As of Monday, the situation in Yemen remains tense, with fears of renewed violence in areas already devastated by a decade of civil war and humanitarian crisis.
