Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today issued a stern warning to anyone who “doubts” Israel, after Israeli warplanes killed three people in the Houthi-controlled Yemeni port of Hodeida.
The attack, the first on a major port in the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country, has been claimed by Israel as a “direct response” to a drone strike by Iran-backed rebels on Tel Aviv on Friday that killed an Israeli civilian.
“I have a simple message to Israel’s enemies: Do not doubt Israel’s determination to defend itself on every front. Those who seek to do us harm will pay a very heavy price for their aggression,” Netanyahu said in a televised address.
He also said the port that was targeted was not an “innocent port”.
“It was used as a gateway for weapons supplied by Iran to its Houthi terrorists. The Houthis have used these weapons to attack Israel, to attack Arab countries in the region and many others,” Netanyahu said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening:
“From the very beginning of the war I made it clear that Israel would take action against everyone who attacked us.
That is why this morning I asked the Israeli Cabinet to support our decision to strike Houthi targets in Yemen. pic.twitter.com/xWE3KXQaeV
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) July 20, 2024
He said, “This attack is in direct response to a deadly drone attack a hundred yards from the US Consulate in Tel Aviv, which killed one person and injured several others. But the Houthis’ aggression goes far beyond that one attack. Over the past eight months, the Houthis have fired hundreds of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones against Israel.”
Netanyahu also said that “the only reason there have not been greater casualties in these attacks is due to the defensive measures taken by Israel and its allies, which together have destroyed hundreds of missiles.”
“But Friday’s drone attack on Israel shows that stopping the Houthis requires more than defensive action. Offensive action is also needed to ensure that Iran’s terrorist groups pay a price for their brazen aggression,” he said.
He thanked the United States, Britain, France and other members of the International Maritime Coalition, which was formed to deter Houthi attacks.
Israeli jets attack Yemen rebels at Hodeida port
Israeli attacks on the Hodeida port killed three people and injured 87. Top Houthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam, referring to the Israel-Hamas war, said that “fuel storage facilities and a power plant” in Hodeida were targeted to “pressure Yemen to stop supporting Palestinians in Gaza.”
Smoke rises from a fire after an Israeli air strike in Hodeidah, Yemen
Photo Credit: Reuters
The port of Hodeida, a crucial entry point for imports and international aid to rebel-controlled areas of Yemen, remained largely untouched during the decade-long war between the Houthis and the internationally recognised government backed by neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis’ Lebanese ally Hezbollah has now warned that the Israeli attack on Hodeida marks a dangerous turning point in the nine-month war in Gaza.