Israel Is Now Bombing Yemen After A Houthi Drone Hit Tel Aviv
This is the first time Israel has directly attacked Yemen.
Israel is now bombing Yemen after a Houthi drone hit Tel Aviv.
Since Israel declared war on Hamas on Oct. 7, the Houthis, an armed group that controls most parts of Yemen, have been launching missile and drone attacks towards Israel and on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea.
The group says it has been primarily targeting ships linked to Israel to support Palestinians in Gaza and to pressure Israel to end its genocide.
On Friday, July 19, a Houthi drone struck an apartment building in Tel Aviv and killed one civilian and injured at least 10 others.
The drone was detected but not intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defense system, which is rare.
In response, Israel ordered fighter jets to attack Hodeidah port, Yemen's main harbor on the Red Sea, on Saturday, July 20.
اللهم احفظ اليمن وأهل اليمن من العدوان الإسرائيلي الغاشم بسبب دعمهم لإخوانهم في فلسطين .
— hafid derradji حفيظ دراجي (@derradjihafid) July 21, 2024
العدوان لن يكسر عزيمة المقاومة الفلسطينية_اليمنية الباسلة.
من كان الله معه سخر له اليمن..
حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل في كل متخاذل pic.twitter.com/A06OdGbLkE
The attack struck oil facilities and a power station, igniting a massive fire.
Six people were killed and 87 others were injured, most of them with severe burns, according to local media.
This is the first time Israel has directly attacked Yemen.
The Al Hudaydah Port in Yemen is still burning.
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) July 21, 2024
This is the main port which Iran is using to transfer weapons to the Houthis.
The Houthis have attacked Israel more than 200 times since the October 7 massacre.
pic.twitter.com/Emp2xvfe7A
Israeli officials said they had struck targets used for military purposes, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the Hodeidah port is used to ship weapons from Iran to the Houthis and other armed groups.
However, Israel's military added that it had hit some targets that had "dual use" for civilians and the military.
Houthi officials said there will be an "effective response" to the Israeli strikes, adding that it "will not hesitate to strike vital targets of the Israeli enemy.”
Analysts say Israel's attack on Yemen is significant because it attacked targets more than 1,700 km away from Israel, which showed the extended reach of Israel's military and adds to growing fears of regional war breaking out across the Middle East.
Kassy Cho
