Did Houthis Launch Missiles and Drones at Israel in Retaliation for Yemeni Port Assault?

Sanaa, July 7 (NationPress) – The Houthi movement from Yemen has initiated strikes with hypersonic ballistic missiles and drones directed at Israeli locations early on Monday, shortly after Israeli military forces targeted three Red Sea ports and a power station.

The military spokesperson for the Houthis, Yahya Sarea, announced via the Houthi-operated al-Masirah TV that the group successfully fired eleven missiles and drones. The missiles were aimed at Ben Gurion Airport, Ashdod Port, a power station in Ashkelon, and eight drones were sent toward Eilat Port.

Sarea asserted that "the missiles and drones hit their intended targets, and that the interception systems were ineffective against them."

The spokesperson emphasized that the Houthi group is "fully prepared for an enduring and extensive confrontation," reiterating that their assaults on Israel will persist until the "conflict in Gaza ceases and the blockade is lifted."

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) reported that two missiles were launched by the Houthis towards Israel early Monday, activating sirens in Jerusalem, the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea area, and several locations in the occupied West Bank.

According to Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service, there were no reported injuries.

"There were attempts to intercept the missiles, and evaluations on the interception outcomes are ongoing," stated the Israeli military.

This retaliation followed a series of Israeli airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, which included the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and As Salif, as well as the Ras Qantib power station.

Additionally, the strikes targeted the Galaxy Leader Vessel, which had been seized by the Houthis in November 2023. The IDF accused the Houthis of equipping the vessel with radar to surveil maritime activity in the Red Sea and claimed that the Houthis utilized the three civilian ports for smuggling Iranian missiles and drones aimed at Israel.

Both Iran and the Houthis have consistently refuted these allegations.

The IDF disclosed that approximately 20 aircraft deployed more than 50 bombs and missiles during their operation.

On the same day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei vehemently condemned Israel's strikes on Yemen, labeling them as "flagrant crimes" against the Yemeni populace and the nation's economic and public infrastructure, as reported by Xinhua.

In recent months, Israel has conducted multiple airstrikes on key targets in Yemen. The Houthi group, which dominates much of northern Yemen, has been targeting Israeli cities and vessels in the Red Sea since November 2023, demonstrating their solidarity with the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.