Israel Targets Hodeidah Port in Yemen

SadaNews - On Tuesday evening, the Israeli army launched a series of airstrikes on the port of Hodeidah in western Yemen, about an hour after issuing an urgent warning calling for the immediate evacuation of all those present in the port and the ships docking there, as part of the escalating Israeli attacks in the region.

For his part, the military spokesman for the Houthis, Yahya Saree, announced that "our air defenses are currently responding to Israeli aircraft that are waging aggression against our country," amidst local reports of hearing loud explosions in Hodeidah following the warning from the occupation.

Later, Saree reported that "the air defenses caused significant confusion for the enemy's aircraft and forced some of its combat formations to leave the airspace before executing their aggression and thwarted their entry into the depth of the country."

An Israeli security official, in a press briefing, stated that "the aim of the strike is to disrupt the port for several additional weeks after its infrastructure was damaged in the previous strike and attempts were made to repair the damage," noting that the attack aims to extend the operational paralysis of the port.

Israeli media quoted the security source as saying that the objective of the attack on Hodeidah is "to damage the port's docks, as part of the continued maritime blockade we have imposed on the Houthis in recent months, and to prevent attempts to rehabilitate the port."

Local sources reported that Israeli aircraft conducted about 12 airstrikes targeting 3 docks in Hodeidah port, confirming loud explosions that shook the port area. The extent of the damage has not yet been determined.

An earlier statement from the Israeli army indicated that "it will attack in the coming hours in the area specified on the map in light of the military activities carried out by the Houthi terrorist regime there," as they described it.

They added: "For your safety, we call on all those present at Hodeidah port and the ships docked there to evacuate the place immediately," warning that "anyone who remains in the area is putting their life at risk."

They threatened to bombard the port "in the near hours," claiming "the military activities of the Houthis."

This development comes amidst the ongoing escalation since the outbreak of war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, where the Houthis regularly launch ballistic missiles and drones towards Israel, in addition to attacking ships associated with it in the Red Sea.

The Houthis assert that their operations are "in support of the Palestinians in Gaza," while Israel has been responding for months with strikes on Houthi positions and their leaders in Yemen.