The Israeli Army confirmed this Thursday that it had bombed military positions of the Houthi rebels in Yemen, backed by the Iranian regime, who have been attacking Israeli territory since the start of the war in Gaza.
Israeli fightersThey attacked military targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime on the western coast and in the interior of Yemen“, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated in a statement.
“The targets attacked by the IDF were used by Houthi forces for military purposes. The attacks degrade the Houthi terrorist regime, preventing it from exploiting targets for military and terrorist purposes, including smuggling Iranian weapons into the region.”, adds the note.
Israel’s main military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, stated in a video message that among the bombed targets were ports and energy infrastructure in Sana’athe Yemeni capital under Houthi control.
The confirmation of the attack came hours after Israel sounded the warning sirens in the center of the country for the missile launch from Yemen, which was intercepted by the Israeli air forces before it entered its territory.
“The Houthi terrorist regime fired a missile into central Israel, forcing millions of civilians to take refuge in bomb shelters”Hagari stated.
The spokesperson stressed that Israel will continue to “act against anyone in the Middle East who threatens” the country and “will not hesitate to attack to defend itself and its citizens from Houthi attacks.”
Israeli forces have twice bombed the Yemeni port of Al Hodeida used by the Houthis, most recently at the end of last September, resulting, according to the Houthis, in the deaths of five people.
Members of the Shiite branch of Islam, led by Iran, Houthis control large regions of central, northern and western Yemen since they took up arms in 2014 against the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
Their attacks, which are backed by Iran, have seriously impacted the international trade and forced the main shipping companies to divert their routes instead of using the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
In response, both Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom have responded with bombings on Houthi territory, increasing tension in the country.
On Monday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for launching a missile they said was aimed at “a military objective of the Israeli enemy in the occupied area of Yaffa”, referring to the Israeli area of Tel Aviv.
This week, an Israeli navy missile boat intercepted a drone in the Mediterraneanlaunched from Yemen, according to the Israeli army. This attack is part of a series of actions carried out by the Houthi rebels, who have declared that they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.
In their statement, the Houthis reaffirmed their commitment to continue their operations “until the aggression in Gaza ceases and the siege is lifted.”
On December 9, a drone, claimed by the Houthis, exploded on the top floor of a residential building in the Israeli city of Yavnein the center of the country, although no victims were reported.
This attack follows a similar incident in July, when a drone melts en Tel Aviv killed an Israeli civilian, prompting retaliation from Israel, which attacked the Yemeni port of Hodeidah in response to the threat.
Hagari said the group had become a “global threat,” pointing to Iran’s support for the rebels.
“We will continue to act against anyone, anyone in the Middle East, who threatens the State of Israel,” he said.
(With information from EFE and AFP)
