Israel strikes Yemen’s Hodeidah port, threatens blockade

Israel’s subject accuses the Houthis of utilizing the seaport to transportation weapons and threatens an aerial and naval blockade.

Israel’s subject has launched overnight strikes connected Yemen’s larboard metropolis of Hodeidah, which it claims is utilized by Houthi rebels to transport weapons.

The Israeli service and Houthi-controlled media reported the strikes connected Hodeidah, a cardinal larboard for humanitarian assistance imports, connected Tuesday. An Israeli authoritative said an “aerial and naval blockade” could follow unless Houthi rebels halt attacks connected Israel.

The onslaught deed 2 piers astatine the port, according to the Houthi reports. Israel’s subject claimed work soon after, saying it utilized navy ships to occurrence missiles astatine seaports that the Houthis usage for “military purposes”.

Neither the Houthi nor Israeli reports mentioned immoderate casualties.

The Red Sea larboard of Hodeidah is simply a large introduction constituent for humanitarian assistance into Yemen {File: Reuters]

Located connected Yemen’s occidental coast, Hodeidah is the main introduction constituent for nutrient and different humanitarian assistance for millions of Yemenis struggling during a warfare that began successful 2014.

Israel accuses the Houthis of utilizing the larboard to transportation weapons arsenic portion of Iran-backed “terrorist activity” and targeted it with aerial strikes successful May.

‘Aerial and naval blockade’

Before the attack, Israel’s subject had warned Yemeni civilians to evacuate from the ports successful Ras Isa, as-Salif and Hodeidah.

According to reports, the Israeli onslaught occurred hours aft the Houthis fired a rocket towards Israel that did not scope its target.

Since the commencement of the warfare successful Gaza successful October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis person fired missiles and drones astatine Israel successful what they accidental are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.

A Houthi ballistic rocket hit Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport complex successful May and concisely halted flights.

“We warned the Houthi panic enactment that if they proceed to occurrence toward Israel, they volition look a almighty effect and volition beryllium subjected to a naval and aerial blockade,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said successful a connection connected X.

Israel imposed a blockade connected Gaza successful March, preventing the introduction of nutrient and different indispensable supplies and sparking a humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations has accused Israel of weaponising aid. It has called the Palestinian enclave “the hungriest spot connected earth” and said its 2.3 cardinal radical are astatine “critical hazard of famine”.

Off-guard

The Houthis spent overmuch of the past 2 years targeting shipping successful the Red Sea successful a run that disrupted planetary trade.

In response, the United States launched aerial strikes successful Yemen. A two-month ceasefire successful Gaza this twelvemonth halted the attacks, but they resumed successful mid-March with the extremity of the Gaza truce.

Hundreds of US strikes successful Yemen killed astatine slightest 250 radical until aboriginal May erstwhile US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire that would “stop the bombing”.

The truce seemingly caught US state Israel off-guard, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pledge that his state would “defend ourselves alone”.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies