Yemen’s Houthis Launch Missile and Drone Attack on Israel in Retaliation for Overnight Strikes
"We launched 11 missiles and drones toward multiple Israeli targets, including Ben Gurion Airport. All missiles and drones hit their targets accurately, and the Israeli missile defense system failed to intercept them,” the Houthi military spokesperson stated.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Monday announced they had launched a barrage of missiles and drones targeting several locations inside Israel in retaliation for overnight Israeli strikes on Houthi-held areas, according to a statement released by the group.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement that Yemen’s air defense forces successfully repelled Israeli strikes earlier in the day that had targeted several Yemeni cities. “In response to these attacks, we launched 11 missiles and drones toward multiple Israeli targets, including Ben Gurion Airport and the port of Ashdod,” Saree stated.
He claimed the strikes were precise and effective. “All missiles and drones hit their targets accurately, and the Israeli missile defense system failed to intercept them,” he added.
The announcement follows an overnight Israeli air campaign, during which the Israeli military struck three ports and a power station in areas under Houthi control. According to the Israeli army, the attacks were directed at what it described as “terrorist infrastructure” at the ports of Hodeida, Ras Isa, and Salif, as well as the Ras al-Kathib power station in the city of Hodeida.
The Israeli military noted that before the airstrikes, it issued warnings to evacuate the targeted sites as a precautionary measure. The military described the operation as a response to repeated Houthi attacks on Israel.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stern warning following the retaliatory exchange, saying, “Anyone who attempts to harm Israel will be harmed in return,” and threatened a “heavy price” against the Houthis for their continued aggression.
Houthi-affiliated media also reported that the Israeli strikes had targeted the aforementioned ports and the central power station in Hodeida. Residents in the area told local outlets that the sound of explosions rattled their neighborhoods during the night, with one saying, “The blasts shook the city and created widespread panic.”
Israel maintains that its military actions in the region are defensive in nature and aimed at neutralizing threats posed by hostile armed groups such as the Houthis. Officials in Jerusalem argue that these Iranian-backed militias are exploiting regional tensions to destabilize the Middle East and that Israel has both the right and responsibility to protect its sovereignty and citizens from cross-border aggression.
