 "Israeli security forces inspect the site where the Israeli military said a projectile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels landed in the area of Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Sunday. AP")
Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Monday reported a wave of air strikes on the port city of Hodeida, blaming US and Israeli forces for the attack.
The strikes come as a response to a Houthi ballistic missile attack which hit the area close to Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday, wounding several people.
“US-Israeli aggression targets with six strikes the port of Hodeida,” on Yemen’s western coast, AFP quoted Iran-backed Houthis’ Al-Masirah television, also reporting “US-Israeli aggression on the Bajil district” in the same province.
An Israeli official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorisation to speak publicly, confirmed that Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes in Yemen.
Earlier, the Houthis’ Saba news agency reported that US airstrikes targeted the capital Sanaa and the airport road, injuring 16 people, according to the rebel-run health ministry.
Houthi-affiliated outlet Al-Masirah also reported three additional strikes in Sanaa and seven more in the northern Al-Jawf governorate.
These developments follow Israel’s announcement that a missile launched from Yemen on Sunday landed within the perimeter of Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv — the first such incident.
The Houthis claimed responsibility, stating they had launched a “hypersonic ballistic missile” at Ben Gurion, Israel’s primary international airport.
The rebels said they “will work to impose a comprehensive air blockade on the Israeli enemy by repeatedly targeting airports, most notably… Ben Gurion Airport”.
The missile gouged a wide crater in the ground near an airport parking lot, injuring six people and forcing airlines to suspend flights.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe Houthis, who control swathes of Yemen including Sanaa, have launched missiles and drones targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping throughout the Gaza war, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a tough response against the Houthis, as well as its main backer Iran, over the attack.
In a video published on Telegram before the reported attack on Hodeida, Netanyahu said Israel had “acted against” the Houthis in the past and “will act in the future”.
“It will not happen in one bang, but there will be many bangs,” he added, without elaborating.
On social media platform X, Netanyahu said Israel would also respond to Iran at “a time and place of our choosing”.
With inputs from agencies