The attacks targeted key ports and a power plant on Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
TEL AVIV: Israel has carried out its first strikes against Houthi militants in Yemen since the Iran-Israel ceasefire, targeting Houthi positions from Sunday night to Monday morning.
According to US media, the strikes targeted key ports on Yemen’s Red Sea coast and a power plant.
According to the Israeli military (IDF), the strikes came after Houthi militants fired at least three ballistic missiles towards Israel after the ceasefire, one of which was successfully intercepted.
Israel targeted the Houthi-held ports of Hodeidah, Rash Issa, Saleef and the Ras Qanatb power plant. In addition, Israel also attacked a cargo ship called the Galaxy Leader, which the Houthis captured in November 2023.
The Israeli military said the Houthis had installed a radar system on the ship, which they were using to track ships in international sea lanes and facilitate terrorist operations.
Avichai Idris, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesman, had issued an evacuation warning for ports and power plants ahead of the attacks, local time.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the attacks as part of Operation Black Flag. In a statement, he said the Houthis would continue to pay a heavy price for their actions, and that more attacks would be launched if they continued to fire drones and ballistic missiles at Israel.
The Houthi military confirmed the Israeli strikes but said Yemeni air defenses had effectively countered the Israeli aggression and responded with locally-made surface-to-air missiles.
There were no immediate reports of casualties in the attack. Mohammed al-Farha, a member of the Houthi political bureau, said that targeting Yemeni ports, power plants and other civilian facilities is an attempt to harm civilians and has nothing to do with any military action.
The attacks come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leaving for Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump.
Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, Israel has faced continuous missile and rocket attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, who target Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians.
