Tensions rise between Houthis and Israel: Missile attack from Yemen

The Israeli military announced that a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted by air defense systems before entering Israeli airspace early in the morning, and that sirens sounded in central Israel in accordance with established protocols.

The missile attack occurred hours after Sanaa International Airport and other Houthi positions were struck by a new round of airstrikes on Friday evening.

Saudi-based Al-Hadath reported that sounds of explosions were heard in Sanaa, and that the attack targeted a military compound in the center of Sanaa, as well as Sanaa International Airport and the Al-Nadha neighborhood in the north of the city.

According to the report, the explosions were so powerful that houses in the vicinity of the targeted areas shook. The strikes followed a Houthi attack on Israel early yesterday morning.

While the Israel-based Maariv stated that the Israeli Air Force confirmed it did not carry out the attack, the Israeli press suggested that the strikes might have been conducted by the US or the UK.

US National Security Advisor John Kirby said in his statement on the matter:

"The Houthis pose a real and tangible threat to the safety of people in Israel, and therefore Israel has the right to defend itself. US strikes against the Houthis will continue as long as threats to ships and Israel persist."

ISRAEL CONDUCTED AIRSTRIKES ON YEMEN THE PREVIOUS DAY: 6 DEAD

Six people, four of whom were at the airport, were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Yemen on Thursday. At the time of the Israeli strikes, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and his team were at Sanaa Airport preparing to leave the Yemeni capital. A member of the UN Humanitarian Air Service was also injured.

Following this, the Houthis announced early Friday that they had carried out missile and drone attacks on targets they had identified in Israel, including Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, and declared that they had attacked a ship in the Arabian Sea with a drone.

In an interview with the Israel-based Channel 14, Netanyahu stated, "We are just getting started with them (the Houthis). We will not allow them to attack Israel today or any other day."

UN CONDEMNS ESCALATING TENSION IN YEMEN

UN spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay stated that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the escalating deadly tension between Yemen and Israel and called on all parties to cease military actions and exercise restraint.

In a statement made on Thursday, the day Israel carried out the strikes targeting Yemen, including Sanaa Airport, the UN spokesperson said, "Today's airstrikes follow the Houthis' escalatory actions in the Red Sea and the region, which have threatened civilians, regional stability, and freedom of maritime navigation for nearly a year."

Julian Harness, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, who was at Sanaa Airport when Israel bombed it, also "condemned the targeting of a civilian area with airstrikes" and stated that the airport is "absolutely vital" for the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Shortly after the Gaza War began between Israel and Hamas following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, the Houthis began targeting ships off the coast of Yemen that they claimed were linked to Israel or heading to Israel. The attacks caused a significant decline in maritime traffic passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the Suez Canal—an important corridor for international trade—and led to a search for alternative routes. The US and the UK have been conducting strikes on Houthi positions since January in an effort to deter the Houthis.

News Source: 12punto