Houthi missile falls short of Israel as attacks continue
Israeli media reported a Houthi missile was intercepted en-route to the Jewish state as the Iran-backed group continues its almost daily attacks.
Israeli media reported a Houthi missile was intercepted en-route to the Jewish state as the Iran-backed group continues its almost daily attacks.
Israel's Y-Net reported that it had been intercepted before reaching Israeli territory, the latest in an ongoing air operation from the Houthis in Yemen.
On Sunday, Israel attacked Hodeidah in Yemen after the Israeli army said it had warned residents of three ports under Houthi control to evacuate, according to the Houthi interior ministry.
Last week, the Houthis, listed as a terrorist organization by countries including the US, fired a ballistic missile which narrowly missed Israel’s main airport after multiple interception attempts failed.
The Houthis announced a ban on “air navigation to the airports of occupied Palestine” following the strike which landed just meters from Ben-Gurion Airport in central Israel.
Since the Gaza war began, dozens of strikes have been launched by Yemen, with scores of drones and missiles fired at the Jewish state.
Following the maritime blockade of the Red Sea region enacted by the Houthis, in a bid to force Israel into a ceasefire with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza, the US had led a more than 20-nation coalition against the group.
In a shock move last week, US President Donald Trump agreed to an Oman-brokered ceasefire after having escalated attacks on the Houthis in March.
The Houthis had launched at least 174 attacks on the US Navy and 145 attacks on global shipping, according to the US State Department.
However, the deal did not encompass the group's attacks on Israel.
In Israel, the ceasefire has left members of the political and military elite on edge.
"This was totally unexpected," one security source told Iran International on condition of anonymity. "Everyone is very much watching and waiting to see what comes next, but it leaves us in a much weaker position."
Another said: "We have no choice but to take tougher action now to show that even standing alone, we will not allow the Houthis to threaten the safety of Israel."
Almost twenty Israeli fighter jets engaged in the attack and dozens of targets were pounded, the Israeli military said in a statement on Monday.
"The terrorist infrastructure attacked in the Hodeidah seaport serves as a major source of income for the Houthi regime. The seaport in Hodeidah is used to transfer Iranian weapons, equipment for military needs and other terrorist needs," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) added.
The raid was carried out in response to repeated drone and ballistic missile attacks by the Houthi rebels against Israel, it said.
On Saturday the Houthis fired a ballistic missile that hit near Israel's main Ben Gurion Airport. Shortly after, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation.
The Houthis "have been operating for the past year and a half with Iranian guidance and funding to harm Israel and its allies, undermine regional order, and disrupt global freedom of navigation," the Israeli military said, adding it is "determined to continue to act and strike with force anyone who poses a threat to the residents and citizens of Israel, and at whatever distance is required."
Iran has denied involvement in Houthi attacks on Israel and international shipping, and foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei saying Monday that Tehran does not operate through regional proxies.
“The decisions made by the people of Yemen reflect their own will, and all such accusations against Iran are baseless.”
The Israeli airstrikes also targeted a concrete factory east of the city of Hodeidah, which the the Israeli military says "serves as an important economic resource for the Houthi government and is used to build tunnels and military infrastructure."
Israel's Channel 14 reported that the airstrikes were carried out independently, without US participation or assistance. However, Israeli outlet Walla News reported that the attacks were coordinated with the United States.
