The Air Force attacked two seaports - Al-Hudaydah and Al-Salif - controlled by the Houthis in Yemen this afternoon (Friday), out of the three ports that the IDF spokesman in Arabic had requested to be evacuated in recent days.
According to reports, at least 20 aircraft participated in the attack on the two ports of Al-Hudaydah and Al-Salif.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir watched the attack from the "pit" in Kirya.
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
After the attack, Netanyahu and Katz issued a joint statement stating that "Following the approval of the operational activity and the guidance of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, the Air Force has now attacked terrorist targets of the Houthi terrorist regime in Yemen in the Houthi-controlled ports of Hodeidah and Salif with the aim of thwarting the activity there.".
The Prime Minister: "I am here in the pit of the Air Force, with the Minister of Defense, the Chief of Staff, the Air Force Commander and our excellent teams. Our pilots have now successfully attacked two Houthi terror havens again, and this is just the continuation, and there will be more to come.".
""We are not willing to sit on the sidelines and let the Houthis harm us. We will be harmed much more by them, including their leadership, including all the infrastructure that allows them to harm us. We also know that the Houthis are a symptom. The one who stands behind them, the one who gives them the support, the instructions, the approval, is Iran.".
""The Houthis will pay a very heavy price, and we will defend ourselves in all ways necessary to maintain the security of the State of Israel. All the best to the Air Force, all the best to the ground crews, all the best to the IDF. Keep it up.".
Defense Minister: "The IDF attacked and severely damaged ports in Yemen that are under the control of the Houthi terrorist organization. Congratulations to the Air Force for the wonderful performance.".
""As we said: If the Houthis continue to fire missiles at the State of Israel, they will be severely hit, and the leaders will also be hit - just as we did to Daf and the Sinwars in Gaza, to Nasrallah in Beirut, and to Haniyeh in Tehran - so we will also do to Abdel Malek al-Houthi in Yemen. We will continue to defend ourselves with our own strength against any enemy.".
An Israeli security source told Kan News: "The goal is a naval blockade of the Houthis." The Arabic-language Sky News television channel also quoted an Israeli source as saying: "Israel is interested in imposing a naval blockade on the Houthis." According to him, "Israel is trying to destroy a number of ports under the control of the Houthis through strikes.".
Senior Houthi official Nasr al-Din Amer stated: "We are in an open campaign against Israel and will not stop our attacks, nor will we lift the blockade of the Gulf of Eilat, nor will we stop the effort to continue the air blockade of Israeli airports. We will expand our military activity in parallel with the expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza and its continued attacks against Yemeni ports.".
A significant air force attack is also underway in the Gaza Strip against the Hamas terrorist organization.
Today's attack in Yemen is the eighth in Yemen since the start of the war, and the third since the resumption of fighting in the Gaza Strip. Since the last attack, 10 days ago, the Houthis have launched seven ballistic missiles and two drones at Israel.
The Houthis launched another missile toward Israel last night, which was intercepted by an Arrow 3. Alarms were activated at 9:10 PM in dozens of communities in the central region, Gush Dan, Sharon, the Lowlands, and Judea and Samaria - while tens of thousands of children celebrated Lag BaOmer around bonfires.
