Israel launches strikes on "militant sites" controlled by the Houthi government in the ports of Al Hudayda, Al Salif, and Ras Isa, Yemen.
In a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict, Israel has conducted a series of airstrikes against strategic positions of the Houthi rebels in Yemen, as part of Operation Black Flag. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) justified the bombings as a response to repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against Israel and against transit and commercial ships in the Red Sea.
The airstrikes targeted Houthi-controlled ports and facilities in Yemen, including Al Hudaydah, Al Salif, Ras Isa, Hodeida, Ras Qantib, and the Galaxy Leader. The IDF announced the attacks on its official Twitter account, stating that the operations were in response to continuous attacks by the Houthi regime against Israel, its citizens, and civilian infrastructure.
The attacks followed a day after Israel intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Yemen and a Houthi attack on a ship in the Red Sea, near Al Hudayda. The Houthis have increased their missile and drone attacks against ships in the Red Sea and Israeli territory since the start of Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on ships since November 2023, causing sinkings, deaths, and forcing key global trade routes to be rerouted. The crew of the Greek ship 'Magic Seas' was rescued after abandoning the Liberian-flagged vessel, which was attacked southwest of Yemen. The attack on the 'Magic Seas' caused fires and damage to the cargo, but no group claimed responsibility.
The Israeli Army accused the Houthi rebels of using port facilities to transfer weapons to the Iranian regime. Tehran is alleged to use these port facilities to carry out terrorist plots against Israel and its allies. The power plants of Hodeida and Ras Qantib were bombed, as they served as important electrical supply infrastructure for the military activity of the Houthi insurgency.
The Houthis have declared that their missile attacks and naval disruptions are intended to support Gaza by pressuring Israel to cease its blockade and attacks on Palestinians. The conflict involving Israel and the Houthi rebels in Yemen is part of a broader, complex regional struggle intertwined with the longstanding Iran-Israel rivalry and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza.
The United States and United Kingdom have also conducted airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in early 2024, signaling international involvement aligned with countering Iranian-backed Houthi aggression and limiting threats to regional stability and maritime security. However, there have been no reports of material or personal damage from the airstrikes so far.
The Houthis have faced international condemnation for their attacks on civilian vessels and infrastructure, further complicating the already volatile regional security environment. The conflict between Israel and the Houthi rebels in Yemen continues to unfold, with both sides showing no signs of backing down.
[1] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/11/israel-gaza-truce-holds-after-deadly-day-of-clashes [2] https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-strikes-yemen-military-targets-after-rocket-attacks-2025-07-01/ [3] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/2/israel-launches-airstrikes-on-yemen-in-response-to-rocket-attacks [4] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/world/middleeast/israel-yemen-airstrikes.html [5] https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/houthi-missile-attacks-escalate-israel-gaza-conflict-2025-07-01/
- The airstrikes conducted by Israel against Houthi-controlled ports and facilities in Yemen are a part of a broader response to continuous attacks by the Houthi regime, also affecting general news and politics, as they have been causing sinkings, deaths, and disrupting key global trade routes.
- In light of the Houthis' repeated attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Israeli territory, and their justification for these actions being support for Gaza, war-and-conflicts in the Middle East have become increasingly interconnected, involving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza and the Iran-Israel rivalry.
