Israel launched attacks on ports and energy infrastructure in Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen early Thursday, threatening more strikes against the Iran-aligned militant group that has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel over the past year.
With Israeli jets in the air, the Israeli military said it intercepted a missile aimed at central Israel that destroyed a school building in the city of Ramat Efal with falling shrapnel, as a military spokesman described.
The Israeli attack, involving 14 fighter jets and other aircraft, came in two waves, with a first series of attacks on the ports of Salif and Ras Issa and a second series hitting the capital Sanaa, military spokesman Lt. Col. said. Nadav Shoshani told reporters.
“We have made extensive preparations for these operations and have sought to refine our intelligence and optimize the attacks,” he said.
Al Masirah TV, the Houthi’s main news channel, said the airstrikes killed nine people, seven in Salif and two at the Ras Issa oil facility, both in western Hodeidah province.
In Sanaa, attacks also targeted two central power plants south and north of the capital, which Al Masirah said had cut power to thousands of families.
The Israeli strikes were followed on Monday by an attack by US aircraft on a command and control facility belonging to the Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen.
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Hostilities on the Red Sea
The Houthis, who have launched attacks on international ships near Yemen since November last year in solidarity with Palestinians in Israel’s war against Hamas, said they attacked the Israeli city of Tel Aviv with two ballistic missiles on the same night and ” precise military “hit targets.”
They also promised to respond to Israeli attacks.
“The Israeli attack will not deter Yemen from responding to this heinous aggression and supporting Gaza,” the group’s military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a televised address.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would continue to respond to Houthi attacks.
“Whoever lifts up a hand against the State of Israel, his hand will be cut off; whoever does harm will be harmed sevenfold,” Katz said in a post on X.
The Israeli military said specialists were examining the site of the attack in Ramat Efal and trying to determine whether one or two rockets were fired.
Some Israeli media reported that the rocket hit the school, but Shoshani said initial signs suggested it had been hit by rocket debris.
One possibility is that the fuel tank, “which is a huge piece of metal, continued to run” after the missile was intercepted, he said.
Since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began in October 2023, after Hamas led a surprise attack on Israel, the Houthis have attacked around 100 commercial vessels with rockets and drones.
The Houthis captured one ship and sank two, also killing four sailors. Other missiles and drones were either intercepted by various U.S. and European-led coalitions in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which included Western military ships.
Once a ragtag group in Yemen – one of the world’s poorest countries – Iran has helped the Houthis become major players capable of disrupting global shipping in the Red Sea. CBC’s Paul Hunter explains the rise of the Houthis and what the world needs to pay attention to. (Correction: In an earlier version of this video, we reported that Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by several countries and organizations, including the United Nations. In fact, the United Nations does not consider Hamas a terrorist organization.)
The rebels claim they are targeting ships with ties to Israel, the US or the UK to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.
The Houthis have led a Saudi-led coalition to a stalemate for several years in a broader Yemen war that has killed more than 150,000 people, including civilians. The conflict has also resulted in one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, with tens of thousands more people estimated to have died.
