Israel vows to defend itself after air raid on Houthi targets in Yemen

Israel is committed to defending itself by all means, and any attacker will pay dearly, stated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following an IDF air raid on Houthi targets in Yemen.

"Do not doubt Israel's determination to defend itself on every front. All those who seek to harm us will pay a very heavy price for their aggression," Netanyahu declared in a special video address, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

He emphasized that those seeking a more secure and stable Middle East should support Israel's actions against "Iran and its allies in Yemen, in Gaza, in Lebanon, and elsewhere."

Netanyahu revealed that early on July 20, he "asked the Israeli cabinet to back my decision to strike against the Houthi targets in Yemen."

"The port that was targeted is not an innocent port. It’s used as their entry point for weapons that are supplied by Iran to the Houthis," he explained, adding that the Houthis "have used those weapons to attack Israel, Arab states in the region, and many others."

He urged the international community to "redouble its efforts to protect this vital waterway and to hold both the Houthis and their Iranian sponsors accountable for their aggression."

Netanyahu linked the air raid on Yemen to a recent drone attack in Tel Aviv. The raid "comes in direct response to the killer drone attack yesterday that killed one person and injured several others, a hundred yards from the US Consulate in Tel Aviv," as well as other Houthi attacks involving hundreds of drones, ballistic, and cruise missiles launched toward Israel since the Gaza conflict began in October 2023.

The Israeli Air Force's attack on Yemen's port city of Hudaydah resulted in at least three deaths and around 80 injuries. According to Al Masirah, the raid targeted oil tanks, the city power plant, and the military police building in northern Hudaydah, causing a powerful fire that remains unextinguished.

Al Hadath television reported that at least 12 Israeli warplanes, including F-35 fighter jets, participated in the attack.

In the early hours of July 19, an explosion was heard in downtown Tel Aviv. The IDF press service stated the explosion was "caused by the falling of an aerial target, and no sirens were activated." Yemen’s rebel Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it used an advanced drone capable of penetrating air defenses.