Israel bombs Yemeni city after Houthi attack on Tel Aviv

Israeli planes bombed Hodeida, a port city in the Syrian Arab Republic, on Saturday. Yemena day after a deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv claimed by Houthi rebels. These are the first attacks announced by Israel against Yemen, a country at war partially controlled by these insurgents, supported by Iran and allies of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas – at war with the Hebrew State in the Gaza Strip since October-.

For months, Houthi rebels have been carrying out attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden against ships they say are linked to Israel, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

“Israeli army fighter jets recently struck military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime in the region of the port of Hodeida in Yemen, in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the State of Israel by these rebels in recent months,” the Israeli army said in a statement.

“We will defend ourselves by all means, on all fronts,” declared the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahufollowing the bombings in Yemen.

The Houthis, for their part, said Israel “will pay for attacking civilian facilities, and we will respond to escalation with escalation.” Israel hit “fuel storage facilities and a power station” in Hodeida, Mohamed told the Bukhaitia member of the rebels’ politburo, who control Hodeida (west). The attacks are aimed at “putting pressure on Yemen to stop supporting” the Palestinians, it said on social media.

He Ministry of Health The rebel-led group said “attacks by the Israeli enemy” caused deaths and injuries, without specifying a toll.

Television Al MasirahThe rebel-run Islamic State group released images of Yemenis allegedly being treated in hospitals after the attacks, several of them bandaged and lying on stretchers.

A man interviewed by the network said that many of the injured were employees of the port, where images show the attacks caused a huge fire that spread and generated an impressive column of black smoke.

“Civil protection teams and firefighters are trying to put out the fire burning in the port’s oil tanks,” Al Masirah said.

These bombings come a day after a Houthi drone attack, which bypassed the effective Israel’s air defenseleft one civilian dead in a Tel Aviv residential building, prompting Israeli threats of retaliation.

“The blood of Israeli citizens has a price,” said the defense minister, Yoav Gallantfollowing the attacks. “This was clearly demonstrated in Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen and elsewhere: if they dare to attack us, the result will be the same,” he added.

The Israeli army said that in the attack in Tel Aviv A drone capable of “travelling long distances” was used. Yemeni rebels, who last week warned that they would “not hesitate to extend their military operations (…) until the aggression ceases” in Gaza, threatened on Friday to make Tel Aviv a “main target” for future attacks.

Houthi attacks in the Red Seaan essential area for world trade, forced numerous shipping companies to go around the whole of Africa, a much longer route.

In December, the United States, an ally of Israel, created a multinational force to protect shipping in this strategic area and has launched numerous attacks against the Houthis in Yemen since January, with the help of United Kingdom.

The war in Yemen, a poor country on the Arabian Peninsula, has been between the Houthis and the government backed by Saudi Arabia and has caused one of the most serious humanitarian crises in the world.

The port of Hodeida is a key entry point for fuel and goods into rebel-held areas, he said. Mohamed AlbashaMiddle East analyst for the US company Navanti Group.

“Traders now fear that (these attacks) will worsen the already critical humanitarian and food security situation in northern Yemen, as most trade passes through this port,” he said.