Israel launched strikes on Yemen's Hodeidah port on Tuesday, the latest wave of attacks on the country, saying it was targeting military infrastructure belonging to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Houthi-linked Al Masirah TV reported that 12 strikes hit the port. The Israeli military later confirmed the attack, claiming Hodeidah is used by the Houthis "for the transfer of weapons supplied by the Iranian regime in order to execute attacks against the state of Israel and its allies".
It added that the strikes were "in response to the repeated attacks" by the Houthis against Israel, including the launching of drones and surface-to-surface missiles.
Shortly after the attack on the port, the Israeli military said it intercepted another ballistic missile launched from Yemen.
The military issued a warning for ships and people to leave Hodeidah port hours before the attack. "In the coming hours, a strike will be carried out ... in response to military activity by the Houthi terrorist regime," Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Avichay Adraee said on X. "For your safety, we urge everyone in Hodeidah port and the vessels anchored there to evacuate the area immediately."
The Houthis said defence systems were launched against the Israeli attacks. "Our air defences are currently confronting Israeli aircraft that are launching an aggression against our country," spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree said in a statement.
He added that the air defences “caused great confusion” for Israeli aircraft and forced some to leave Yemeni airspace.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz posted a warning to the Houthis on X, saying the group would "continue to suffer blows and pay painful prices for any attempt to attack the state of Israel".
The latest strikes came as hundreds attended funerals for 31 Yemeni journalists killed last week in Israeli strikes on Sanaa. Israel launched attacks on the capital and Al Jawf governorate, killing at least 46 people and injuring 165.
The Israeli military said at the time that Houthi targets were hit, including the group's military public relations headquarters and a fuel storage site. The Houthis have increased their attacks on Israel in recent months, using warheads with cluster munitions that scatter over a large area and can evade Israeli air defences.
The group has said its attacks are in support of the Palestinians. The Houthis began firing missiles and drones towards Israel after the start of the devastating war on Gaza, where more than 64,900 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks.

