US Strikes Houthis After Rocket From Yemen Injures Dozens In Israel
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
SANAA/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – The U.S. military says it has conducted airstrikes targeting a missile storage facility and a command-and-control post operated by Houthis in Yemen after the Iran-backed group struck Israel, injuring dozens of people.
In a statement monitored by Worthy News, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that American forces hit targets in Yemen’s Houthi-held capital, Sanaa. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
CENTCOM said the strikes were aimed at “disrupting and degrading Houthi operations,” including attacks on U.S. Navy warships and commercial vessels in the southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden.
The U.S. military also destroyed drones and a cruise missile designed for use against ships, officials said.
Houthis have attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea for over a year, seeking to impose a naval blockade against Israel.
They claim these actions are “in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” where it supports Hamas.
Houthis have demanded that Israel end its war in Gaza, which Hamas sparked after it entered Israel and killed some 1,200 people, including babies, on October 7, 2023.
TEL AVIV HIT
Saturday’s U.S. strikes came shortly after a rocket fired from Yemen hit an area of Tel Aviv, Israel’s second most populous city, leaving 16 people injured by shattered glass, the Israeli military said Saturday.
Another 14 people had minor injuries as they rushed to shelters when air raid sirens sounded before dawn, the Israeli military explained.
The weekend attack on Israel, America’s closest ally, followed Israeli airstrikes hitting Houthi in response to previous missiles fired from Yemen at the Jewish nation and its allies.
Thursday’s Israeli strikes caused “considerable damage” to the Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports “that will lead to the immediate and significant reduction in port capacity,” added United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
The port at Hodeida has been key for food shipments into Yemen in its decade-long civil war, though Israel has made clear it tries to avoid hitting civilians.
In response to these strikes, the Houthis said they had aimed “a hypersonic ballistic missile” at a military target, apparently in Tel Aviv, that they did not identify.
Israel’s military said it was investigating, warning residents that “we emphasize that aerial defense is not hermetic.”
BROKEN GLASSES
“A flash of light, a blow, and we fell to the ground. Big mess, broken glasses all over the place,” recalled Bar Katz, a resident of a damaged building, when talking to reporters.
It was the latest in a series of attacks by Houthis, who launched more than 200 missiles and 170 drones at Israel in the past year, according to Israeli officials
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claims the vast majority did not reach Israel or were intercepted by the military and Israeli allies in the region.
The group also carried out repeated missile and drone attacks on some 100 merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and said they won’t stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
These attacks have forced many carriers to avoid the key waterways, hamstringing global shipping and trade.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has accused both sides of risking further escalation in the region, undermining United Nations mediation efforts.
However, Israel’s government has accused the U.N. of showing bias toward Israel at a time when the nation is fighting on multiple fronts in “a battle for its existence.”
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