After intercepting Houthi missile, Israel strikes Yemen’s ports & energy sites, killing 9

Israeli airstrikes on Yemen killed nine people early on Thursday, Al Masirah TV, the main television news outlet run by the Houthi movement controlling much of the country, said.

Of these, seven people were killed in a strike on the port of Salif and the rest in two strikes on the Ras Issa oil facility, both located in the western province of Hodeidah, Al Masirah said.

The Israeli strikes also targeted two central power stations south and north of the capital, Sanaa, it added.

Israel retaliates

After the strike, Israeli military issued a statement saying that it “conducted precise strikes on Houthi military targets in Yemen, including ports and energy infrastructure in Sanaa” after intercepting a missile fired from the country.

On Thursday (December 19), Israeli military said it had intercepted a missile from Yemen, the second time this week.

Israel’s warning to Houthi leaders

Israel also warned Houthi leaders it “will reach you too.”

“I warn the leaders of the Houthi terrorist organisation: Israel’s long arm will reach you too,” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said.

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On Monday, the Houthis launched a missile which they claimed was aimed at “a military target of the Israeli enemy in the occupied area of Yaffa” – a reference to Israel’s Tel Aviv area.

The same day, an Israeli navy missile boat intercepted a drone in the Mediterranean after it was launched from Yemen, the military said.

The Iran-backed Houthis maintained that they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians. On December 16, they pledged to continue operations “until the aggression on Gaza stops and the siege is lifted”.

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On December 9, a drone claimed by Houthis exploded on the top floor of a residential building in the central Israel city of Yavne.

In July, a Houthi drone attack in Tel Aviv killed an Israeli civilian, forcing retaliatory strikes on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.

The Houthis have been regularly targetting ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, leading to retaliatory strikes on Houthi targets by the US and sometimes British forces.

With inputs from AFP and Reuters.