Houthis Claim Fresh Attacks on Israel After Yemen Airport Strikes

Yemeni rebels, led by the Houthi movement, claimed responsibility for a missile strike on Israel’s Ben Gurion airport and drone attacks on Tel Aviv and a ship in the Arabian Sea, following Israeli airstrikes on rebel-held areas in Yemen. These attacks come after a series of airstrikes by Israel, including a raid on Sanaa’s international airport, as tensions between Israel and the Houthis escalate.

The Israeli strikes, which targeted military sites, power stations, and ports in Yemen’s rebel-controlled territories, followed a missile attack from the Houthis. Israel’s military stated the strikes were aimed at disrupting Houthi military infrastructure and halting Iranian weapons smuggling into the region.

The United Nations voiced concern over the escalation, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemning the attacks on vital infrastructure, which threaten Yemen’s already fragile humanitarian operations. UN Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who had been in Yemen to negotiate the release of detained UN staff, narrowly escaped injury when the Sanaa airport came under bombardment.

The Houthis have intensified their attacks against Israel since late November, and their missile and drone assaults have been aimed at Israeli cities and shipping routes in the Red Sea. Israel has retaliated with airstrikes targeting Houthi-controlled regions, including strategic sites in Sanaa and Hodeida, vital for the entry of humanitarian aid.

The conflict has been marked by growing tensions between Israel, Yemen’s Houthis, and Iran, which supports the rebel group in their fight against Saudi-led forces in Yemen.