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Israeli warplanes on Monday struck targets in Yemen, a day after a ballistic missile fired by Houthi rebels exploded near Israel’s main international airport.
The Israel Defense Forces said the planes targeted the Hodeida port complex on the Red Sea, as well as a nearby concrete factory, which the IDF claimed were important sources of income for the Iran-backed Yemeni militant group, and gateways for the transfer of Iranian weapons.
Orange flames and large plumes of smoke illuminated the night sky over Hodeida port on Monday evening, according to reports from Yemeni and Arabic media.
Four people were injured on Sunday by the Houthi ballistic missile that landed inside the grounds of Ben Gurion international airport, outside Tel Aviv, and while the hub quickly resumed services, several airlines have suspended flights to Israel.
The Israeli attack on Monday marked the sixth time the country’s warplanes have launched long-range sorties against Houthi rebels in Yemen since last summer.
An Israeli official said 20 warplanes were involved in the attack, which they described as a “solo Israeli operation” that was co-ordinated with the US. A US official confirmed American forces did not participate in the Israeli strikes.
Houthi rebels began firing on merchant shipping in the Red Sea and launching drones and missiles at Israel after the IDF launched its offensive against Hamas in Gaza, following the Palestinian militant group’s October 2023 attack on the Jewish state.
The Houthi attacks have severely disrupted shipping through one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes and prompted a separate air campaign by the US military — which has escalated over the past two months under President Donald Trump.
The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have said they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.
They have fired at least 17 ballistic missiles at Israel since March, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abandoned a ceasefire with Hamas and restarted the IDF offensive in Gaza.
The vast majority of the Houthis’ weapons have been intercepted by Israeli and US air defences, although on Sunday a missile evaded the systems and landed inside the perimeter of Ben Gurion international airport.
The IDF said the likely cause of the failure was “a technical issue with the interceptor launched toward the missile”, and not any larger systemic malfunction.
Netanyahu on Sunday vowed revenge against the Houthis. “It’s not ‘bang’ and we’re done — but there will be bangs,” he said in a video statement.
Echoing comments by Trump that he would hold Iran responsible for further attacks by the Houthis, Netanyahu said Israel would respond against Tehran.
“Attacks by the Houthis emanate from Iran. Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters,” Netanyahu wrote on social media.
Additional reporting by James Politi in Washington
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