Israel said that it conducted airstrikes on Yemen's Hodeidah Port Monday, one day after Iran-aligned Houthis launched a missile near Israel's primary airport.

In a press release, the military claimed that it had attacked targets it considered terrorists in Hodeidah.

Anees al-Asbahi, spokesman for the Houthi-run Health Ministry, said that at least 21 people were injured in the strikes.

Three sources claim that the Houthis closed down the area surrounding the port and the cement factory after the strikes.

The extent of damage was not known, but the fire and strikes caused serious damage to the container berth.

Other sources estimate that 70% of the five docks, the warehouses and the customs area were damaged. A worker said that the strikes took place as two ships unloaded their cargo. Traffic at the port was at a standstill.

Port Aden is the second largest port in the Red Sea, after Aden. It is also the point of entry for approximately 80% Yemen's imports.

Five residents said that more than 10 strikes were carried out in Hodeidah Port, the Al Salakhanah neighbourhood and the Al Hawak neighborhood of the city. Four other strikes targeted a factory of cement east of Hodeidah.

The Israeli military stated that the attack was carried out as a response to the repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorists against Israel, in which surface-tosurface missiles and unmanned planes were launched on the territory of Israel and its citizens.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has promised to retaliate against Sunday's attack. It was the first missile known to have evaded Israel's air defenses since March.

In a X message commenting on Israel's attack, Houthi official Abdul Qader al-Mortada stated that Israel should "wait for the unimaginable".

After a short suspension, the Yemeni group has resumed their attacks on Israel and shipping routes after a ceasefire was broken between Hamas in Gaza and Israel.

Since the start of the Gaza war, the Houthis who control Yemen have fired at Israel and ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians.

An anonymous U.S. official confirmed that U.S. troops were not directly involved in the strikes on Monday, but the two allies are working together.

A Houthi-owned oil company announced that it had begun to operate an emergency fuel system in response to the difficulties encountered by oil ports at Ras Isa.

In a press release, the company attributed its decision to the U.S. attacks on the country and the port.

In March, U.S. president Donald Trump ordered massive strikes against the Houthis. The strikes in Yemen have resulted in the deaths of hundreds, while Israel has been largely limiting its attacks on Yemen since last December.

Israel had approved earlier on Monday a plan which could include securing the Gaza Strip and controlling the aid to the Palestinian Enclave.

According to Israeli statistics, the war in Gaza began after Hamas attacks in southern Israel in October 2023. In these attacks, 1,200 people died and 251 were taken hostage. Gaza's health officials claim that Israel's assault on Gaza killed over 52,000 Palestinians and destroyed most of the enclave.

(source: Reuters)