(Al Jazeera Media Network) Israel has confirmed it launched an attack against Yemen’s port of Hodeidah in its latest round of strikes against the country, which it says is targeting the Houthis.
Dozens of Yemeni civilians have been killed in these ongoing Israeli strikes.
The Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV station said Israel carried out 12 strikes on Tuesday, with the Israeli army claiming they were a response to the Houthis’ military activities there.
“Our air defences are currently confronting the Israeli aircrafts that are launching an aggression against our country,” Houthi spokesperson Yayha Saree posted on X.
Hours before the attack against the Red Sea coast city, the Israeli military, which alleged the Houthis were using the port to receive weapons from Iran, had issued a threat to evacuate the area.
“For your safety, we urge everyone in Hodeida port and the vessels anchored there to evacuate the area immediately,” the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X.
Speaking to Reuters, two sources at the port suggested that Israel’s strikes targeted three docks that had been restored after previous Israeli attacks. The attack lasted roughly 10 minutes, residents told the news agency.
Following the strikes, the Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the Houthis would “continue to suffer blows” and “pay painful prices” if they attacked Israel.
