Israel Renews Strikes On Yemen, Houthis Hit Back With 11 Missiles And Drones (Videos)

Click to see full-size image. (Israeli Defense Forces)

Israel carried out extensive strikes on areas controlled by the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen over the night of July 6 and 7.

In a statement, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that the strikes, carried out by some 20 fighter jets, targeted multiple Houthi targets in Yemen, including the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Salif, and the Ras Khatib power station. More than 50 munitions were dropped by the fighter jets.

The strikes also hit the “Galaxy Leader” vessel, which was captured by the Houthis in November 2023, the military added, claiming that the group “installed a radar system on the ship, and are using it to track vessels in international maritime space, in order to promote the Houthi terrorist regime’s activities.”

According to the military, all the targets were used by the Iran-backed Houthi regime to transfer weapons and conduct terror activity against Israel and global shipping.

The IDF said the strikes came in response to repeated Houthi missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory and highlighted the group’s ongoing use of civilian infrastructure for military purposes.

The Houthis hit back quickly. Just a few hours after the end of the strikes, the group said that it launched 11 missiles and drones at targets in Israel.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the military spokesman for the group, said in a statement that three hypersonic ballistic missiles were launched at Ben Gurion Airport, the port of Ashdod and a power station in Ashkelon. He also said that the port of Eilat was attacked with eight suicide drones.

The IDF confirmed the launch of two ballistic missiles from Yemen. Sirens sounded in several southern West Bank settlements. Later, the military said that it made attempts to shoot down the projectiles, the results of which were being investigated. Videos posted to social networks show at least one impact.

The Houthis launched two ballistic missiles at Ben Gurion on July 1 and 6. Hours after the second attack, a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned ship came under attack near Hodeidah. The ship took heavy damage and was abandoned by its crew. While the attack was blamed on the Houthis, the group has not yet claimed responsibility.

Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have launched around 56 ballistic missiles and at least 13 suicide drones at Israel.

Including the latest attack, Israel launched six waves of strikes targeting civilian infrastructure in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in recent months. The IDF also attempted to assassinate Houthi military chief of staff Muhammad al-Ghamari in the country’s capital, Sanaa, but failed.

The Israelis will have to do much more to deter the Houthis. However, the distance separating them from Yemen, up to 2,000 kilometers, and the group’s excellent operational security will likely limit what the IDF can achieve there. Other options could include pushing the United States to resume strikes on the Houthis, or even backing a new ground offensive against the group by the forces of the internationally-recognized Yemeni government.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence

NOW hosted at southfront.press

Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.

The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation

Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com

SOUTHFRONT.PRESS

MORE ON THIS TOPIC: