Israel bombs Houthi targets in Yemen in response to their missiles against the Tel Aviv area

Israel has bombed Houthi infrastructure in Yemen in response to their ballistic missiles and drones fired at its territory. This is the third action by the Israeli Air Force against the area under the control of the armed group since, like Hezbollah from Lebanon and other pro-Iran militias from Iraq, they began their attacks in support of the Gaza Strip after the Hamas attack. on October 7, 2023.

The intense early morning began with sirens waking up large areas of central Israel. The Israeli defensive shield, in this case the Jetz system, intercepted a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis although part of the object, weighing about 17 tons, or the interceptor missile hit a school in the city of Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, causing severe damage. The military spokesman for the Yemeni rebels, Yahya Sarea, announced the firing of “two hypersonic ballistic missiles of the Palestine 2 type against two sensitive and high-quality targets in the Yafo area (south of Tel Aviv)” and added that it was almost same time as the Israeli attacks in Sanaa and Hodeidah.

Shortly after, 14 fighter jets attacked at least five targets including three ports and energy infrastructures under Houthi control in Yemen, causing, according to media related to the militia, 9 deaths.

“The Israel Defense Forces carried out precise strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen, including ports and energy infrastructure in Sana’a, which the Houthis have been using in ways that effectively contributed to their military action,” the Israeli army spokesman said. , Daniel Hagari, who added that his country “will not hesitate to act to defend itself and its citizens from Houthi attacks.” “Who is behind the Houthis? Iran“, added Hagari after an attack carried out about 1,700 kilometers away and prepared for weeks due to the intensification of drones and ballistic missiles from Yemen – the vast majority intercepted – especially against the economic heart of Israel including the Ben Gurion airport area. According to him, the objective of the air operation carried out in two waves this morning was “to hit the terrorist regime by preventing the use of infrastructure for military and terrorist needs, including the transfer of Iranian weapons to the region.”

After the Israeli attacks in Salif and Ras Issa – both in the Hodeidah area – and in the north and south of Sana’a paralyzing its three ports, the Houthis promised to continue attacking Israel “until the aggression against the people of Gaza ends” and hit their electrical infrastructure. One of its spokespersons, Nasruddin Amer, stated that “the Yemeni people are very proud and always thank Allah for granting them success to wage a holy war against the Zionist enemy entity in support and victory of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.”

He also accused this country and the United States of attacking civilian infrastructure in Yemen. On Monday, the US Army Central Command in the region announced “the precise airstrike against a key command and control facility operated by the Iran-backed Houthis within Houthi-controlled territory in Sanaa.” According to its statement, the target attacked was “a coordination center for Houthi operations, such as attacks against US Navy warships and merchant ships in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.”

The attacks by the Houthis against a hundred merchant ships on this important international maritime trade route and its connection with Iran lead the Israeli authorities to denounce that it is “a threat to global security and not only that of Israel.”

Since the beginning of November, the Houthis have claimed at least 12 ballistic missiles and drones against Israeli territory, adding up to around 400 in more than 14 months. In fact, it is the only group that continues to attack Israel consistently in support of Hamas after the truce agreement with Hezbollah in Lebanon on November 27, the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria and the weakening of the Iranian axis. . Hamas and Islamic Jihad, both greatly weakened by the massive offensive in the Gaza Strip, launch projectiles sporadically against southern Israel.

The first Israeli airstrike against Houthi targets in Yemen took place on July 20 in response to the drone that killed a citizen in Tel Aviv. The second was at the end of September causing four deaths. The third this morning becomes the first in the Sana’a area. The Israeli Government warns that it will not be the last if the Houthis continue firing ballistic missiles against their cities while the pro-Iranian group replies that they will continue their attacks if Israel continues the offensive in Gaza. Early this afternoon, the Israeli Air Force shot down a drone from Yemen off the coast of Tel Aviv.