West Asia

At least nine people were killed and three others injured in Israeli air strikes on Yemen in the early hours today, the strikes targeted the capital Sanaa and the western Hudaydah governorate, according to local reports.

Seven fatalities occurred at Salif Port following strikes on the facility, while two others died, and one person was injured in attacks on the Ras Isa oil terminal, Al Masirah reported. The strikes also targeted key infrastructure in Sanaa, with multiple raids hitting the Haziz and Dhabhan power stations. Fires were extinguished, but local services remain impacted.

Israel confirmed the strikes, claiming they targeted “military assets” used by Yemen’s Houthi-aligned armed forces after intercepting a missile fired towards the occupation state. “The targets attacked are used by the Houthi forces for their military operations,” Israel’s military stated.

In response, the missile unit of the Yemeni armed forces carried out a retaliatory military operation, targeting two sensitive and strategic Israeli military sites in the occupied Yafa (Tel Aviv) region using two Palestine-2 hypersonic ballistic missiles. “Our response comes within the framework of a legitimate and natural reaction,” said military spokesman Yahya Saree.

In a post today on X (formerly known as Twitter), Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, a member of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council condemned the attacks and reiterated Sanaa’s solidarity with the Palestinian resistance.

“The attacks of the Israeli-American enemy on civilian objects are condemned terrorist war crimes. The crimes of the temporary Israeli and American entity on Yemen are a continuation of the series of crimes in the region,” Al-Houthi said.

“The terrorist crimes of Israel and America will not deter Yemen from carrying out its duty of supporting Gaza. Yemen’s operations against their terrorism continue,” he added.

Hamas, also weighed in, branding the Israeli escalation a “dangerous development” and calling for increased Houthi strikes against the occupation entity. The resistance movement’s armed wing stated: “We commend the missile attack carried out by our loyal brothers, the Ansar Allah in Yemen, targeting the heart of the Zionist entity.”

“We praise their steadfast support for Gaza and call on them to escalate their attacks until the occupation submits and ends its genocidal war.”