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The Houthi insurgents of Yemen, possibly the last combat-effective Iranian proxy force in the Middle East, are threatening to continue missile attacks against Israel after a devastating Israeli airstrike on the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah.
Israel launched strikes against Houthi port facilities on Sunday after the Houthis attacked a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier ship called Magic Seas. It was the first Houthi pirate attack against a civilian vessel in the Red Sea this year.
The Houthis hit the Magic Seas with small arms fire, rocket-propelled grenades, missiles, and bomb-laden drone boats. The ship’s armed security team fought back as long as they could, but eventually, the Magic Seas caught fire and began taking on water, forcing the crew to abandon ship.
Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree took responsibility for the terror attack on Monday, claiming the ship was targeted because it has visited Israeli ports in the past. The Houthis have said they intend to “blockade” Israel until it halts military operations in Gaza.
Israel responded to the Magic Seas attack by bombing Houthi-held ports in Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and Salif, along with a power plant at Ras Kanatib.
“These ports are used by the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, which are employed to carry out terrorist operations against the state of Israel and its allies,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. The IDF issued Arabic-language evacuation warnings for all three port cities and the power plant before the attacks.
Israeli warplanes also targeted the Galaxy Leader, a commercial vessel hijacked by Houthi pirates in November 2023, in the early days of their Red Sea terrorist campaign.
“Houthi forces installed a radar system on the ship and have been using it to track vessels in the international maritime arena to facilitate further terrorist activities,” the IDF said.
“Anyone who tries to harm Israel will be harmed, anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have it cut off,” said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.
“The Houthis will continue to pay a heavy price for their actions,” he added.
Saree claimed on Monday that Houthi air defenses intercepted Israel’s attack, using “domestically developed surface-to-air missile systems,” and forced the Israeli warplanes to turn back without hitting any of their targets.
Saree further claimed the Houthis retaliated by launching “hypersonic missiles” at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport, Ashdod Port, and a power station in Ashkelon. He also said Houthi forces launched eight drones at the Israeli port of Eilat and claimed Israel’s defenses failed to intercept any of the attacks.
In reality, the Israeli military said Yemen was only able to launch two missiles, and both were intercepted. Ben Gurion Airport temporarily halted flights while the attack was ongoing, and most international airlines resumed service by Monday, although a few have yet to resume flights that were canceled during the 12-Day War between Israel and Iran.
Saree said the Houthis are prepared for a “sustained and ongoing confrontation” with Israel.
“This aggression will only strengthen our determination and increase operations in support of Palestine,” he said of the Israeli airstrikes on Hodeidah.
“With God’s help, we will continue to fulfill our religious, moral, and humanitarian duty to support the oppressed Palestinian people in Gaza, the land of pride and resistance,” he said.
Nasruddin Amer, head of the Ansar Allah media office, vowed to continue attacks on Israeli civilians. Ansar Allah, or “Army of Allah,” is the Houthi movement’s name for itself. Their official slogan is “Allahu akbar, death to the United States, death to Israel, curse the Jews, victory for Islam.”
“The Zionists must go to shelters because whoever violates Gaza and [Yemen] will not have a peaceful sleep,” Amer told Iran’s state-run PressTV on Monday.
“Gaza is not alone and Yemen will not remain silent in the face of oppression,” he said.
Amer said the Israeli military “has not been able, and will not be able, to stop Yemeni strikes deep into the occupied territories.”
