Israel strikes Houthis in Yemen after drone hits Tel Aviv

Israel has recently launched air strikes against the Houthi movement in Yemen. This action came just a day after a drone, which was reportedly sent by the Houthis, struck Tel Aviv, a major city in Israel. The Israeli Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, stated that the purpose of these air strikes was to send a clear message to the Houthi group. He emphasized that the flames and smoke seen in Hodeidah, a city in Yemen, are visible across the Middle East, indicating the seriousness of the situation. In response, a Houthi official named Mohammed Abdulsalam condemned the air strikes, calling them a 'brutal aggression' against Yemen. He claimed that the strikes were intended to pressure the Houthis into ceasing their support for the Palestinians in Gaza, which he firmly stated would not happen. This marks the first time that Israel has directly retaliated against what it claims have been numerous drone and missile attacks from Yemen targeting its territory in recent months. The air strikes specifically targeted the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah on a Saturday evening. Footage from the area showed large fires burning, and the Houthi-run government in Sana’a reported that Israel had struck oil storage facilities near the coast, as well as a nearby power plant. They also mentioned that there were civilian casualties as a result of the strikes. Mr. Gallant explained that the Israeli fighter jets targeted the Houthis because they had caused harm to Israeli citizens. He stated, 'The Houthis attacked us over 200 times. The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required. ' The drone that hit Tel Aviv was described by an Israeli military official as an Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that had been modified for long-distance flights. The Houthis, who are located over 1,000 miles away in Yemen, claimed responsibility for the attack and vowed to carry out more in the future. The attack resulted in the death of a 50-year-old man who had recently moved to Israel from Belarus, and it also injured eight others. The Israeli military official mentioned that their defense forces had detected the incoming drone but did not attempt to shoot it down due to what they called 'human error. ' In the past, nearly all Houthi missiles and drones aimed at Israel had been intercepted, and none were known to have successfully reached Tel Aviv. Although Israel had not previously struck the Houthis in Yemen, the United States and the United Kingdom have been conducting air strikes against the group for several months in an effort to prevent them from attacking commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. The Houthis initially claimed that they were targeting vessels connected to Israel, but many of these ships had no ties to Israel. Since the air strikes began, the group has also targeted vessels linked to the UK and the US.