An Israeli Air Force fighter jet firing flares as it flies over the Gaza Strip, as it seen from the Israeli side of the border, July 20, 2025. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90

For the twelfth time since the start of the war, the Israeli Defense Forces struck targets of the Houthi terror group in Yemen, roughly 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from the Israeli border, on Monday.

Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the Israeli Air Force hit terror targets “in the Port of Hodeidah, forcefully enforcing the policy against any attempt to rebuild terror infrastructure previously attacked.”

“As I have made clear – Yemen will suffer the same fate as Tehran,” Katz stressed.

“The Houthis will pay a heavy price for launching missiles toward the State of Israel. We will continue to act at any time and in any place to defend the State of Israel.”

According to the military, this time the strikes also targeted equipment used to rebuild and rehabilitate the damage from the previous strikes.

Among the targets were “engineering vehicles used to reestablish the port’s infrastructure, fuel containers, naval vessels used for military activities and attacks against the State of Israel, vessels in the maritime zone adjacent to the port, and additional terror infrastructure used by the Houthi terrorist regime,” the IDF said.

The Houthis and their Iranian patrons used the port “to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, which are then used by the Houthi terrorist regime to execute terrorist attacks against the State of Israel and its allies,” the military said.

“The IDF has identified the continuous efforts and actions of the Houthi terrorist regime to reestablish terrorist infrastructure at the port, and as such, the components used to advance these efforts were struck.”

“The Houthi terrorist regime exploits the maritime zone for the use of force and to carry out terrorist attacks against passing vessels and global maritime trade,” the IDF stated.

Army Radio later reported that the strikes were carried out by IDF drones, and not by fighter jets. This was the second time the IDF didn’t use fighter jets while striking the Houthis, after navy ships were used the last time.

Despite the repeated Israeli strikes, as well as major operations by the U.S. and allied nations, the Houthis have persisted in firing ballistic missiles and drones at Israel.

Since the last Israeli strikes some two weeks ago, the terrorists have launched six missiles and two drones at Israel, which were either intercepted or crashed outside of Israel.

The last missile attack occurred late on Friday evening, triggering alarm sirens across central Israel, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the political bureau of the Houthis vowed that the Israeli attacks would “not affect the will of the Yemeni people” to continue supporting the Palestinians in Gaza, in comments to the Al-Arabi channel.

He added that the U.S. and the West could stop the war by applying pressure on Israel to stop the “crimes of mass destruction in Gaza.”

Israel struck Houthis military targets in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah on Monday.

The Israeli army said it “struck and dismantled” infrastructure belonging to the rebel group.

“Among the military infrastructure struck were engineering vehicles used to re-establish the port’s infrastructure, fuel containers, naval vessels used for military activities and force against the state of Israel and vessels in the maritime zone adjacent to the port,” the army said.

“Due to the military use of the port of Hodeidah by the Houthi terror regime, the port has been attacked multiple times in the past.”

Defence Minister Israel Katz said the “fate of Yemen will be the same as Tehran”.

Israel launched an unprecedented surprise bombing campaign against Iran last month, prompting Tehran to respond with drone and missile attacks. Israel’s strikes dealt a significant blow to Tehran’s air defences, which were repeatedly activated in the capital and across the country.

“The Houthis will pay a heavy price for launching missiles at the state of Israel,” Mr Katz said. “We will continue to act at any time and in any place to defend the state of Israel.”

Houthi media reported “a series of Israeli air raids on the port of Hodeidah”.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have been firing at Israel and attacking shipping lanes. Traffic through the Red Sea, a critical waterway for the world’s oil and commodities, has dropped since the militia began attacking ships in November 2023 in what the group said was solidarity with Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war.

Israel has responded with several strikes on Yemen, including attacks on the port city of Hodeidah earlier this month.

The group said late on Friday they had attacked Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv with a ballistic missile, while the Israeli military said the projectile was intercepted after air raid sirens were triggered in several parts of the country.

Most of the dozens of missiles and drones the Houthis have launched at Israel have been intercepted or fallen short.

On July 6, the Houthis attacked and sunk the Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged Magic Seas – their first such assault this year.

On July 7, the group carried out a two-day attack on another cargo ship, the Eternity C, sinking it and forcing the crew to abandon ship. Operation Aspides – the EU naval task force in the Red Sea – said three people died, 10 were rescued and others remain missing.

The rebels said they “rescued” an unspecified number of people aboard the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, with the US accusing them of kidnap.

Israel launched retaliatory strikes involving about 20 aircraft against Houthi-controlled ports, a power station and a ship that the group captured in 2023. Israel dropped more than 50 bombs in the attack, its military said.

The Israeli military is attacking Houthi targets in Yemen’s Hodeidah port, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Monday.

Katz said the army is “forcefully countering any attempt to restore the terror infrastructure previously attacked”.

Since Israel’s deadly war in Gaza Strip began in October 2023, the Iran-backed Houthis have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians, who have been attacked and killed indiscriminately for over 21 months.

Israel has responded by launching attacks on Houthis, who control the most populous part of Yemen, including the vital Hodeidah port.

“As I have made clear – Yemen’s fate is the same as Tehran’s. The Houthis will pay a heavy price for launching missiles toward the State of Israel,” Katz said.

Additionally, a Houthi security official also confirmed that Israel had struck the port.

“The bombing destroyed the port’s dock, which had been rebuilt following previous strikes,” the official told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

The Israeli army said it struck a number of targets in Hodeidah, including military infrastructure and naval vessels used for military purposes.

This is a developing story. More to follow…

Explosions were reported in the Hodeidah area of Yemen on Sunday night, shortly after the IDF warned of an Israel Air Force strike targeting the Houthi rebels.

Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the IDF launched strikes on Yemen, saying, “As part of Operation ‘Black Flag,’ the IDF has now powerfully struck terrorist targets of the Houthi terror regime in the ports of Hodeidah, Al-Salif, and Ras Issa, the Ras Katib power station, and the ship Galaxy Leader which was hijacked by the Houthis about two years ago and is currently being used for terrorist activities in the Red Sea.”

“As I warned: The fate of Yemen is the same as that of Tehran. Anyone who tries to harm Israel will be harmed, and anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have their hand cut off. The Houthis will continue to pay a heavy price for their actions,” he added.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in a statement, “IAF fighter jets, guided by intelligence from the IDF Intelligence Directorate and the Israeli Navy, struck and destroyed terror infrastructure belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime. Among the targets were the ports of Al Hudaydah, Ras Isa, and Salif.”

“These ports are used by the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, which are employed to carry out terrorist operations against the State of Israel and its allies.”

It added that “the strike was carried out in response to the repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel, its civilians, and civilian infrastructure, including the launching of UAVs and surface-to-surface missiles toward Israeli territory.”

“The Houthi terrorist regime exploits the maritime domain to project force and conduct terrorist activity against passing vessels and global maritime commerce. The targets struck demonstrate the regime’s systematic use of civilian infrastructure for terrorist purposes,” said the IDF.

“Among the terror targets struck at the port of Ras Isa was the Galaxy Leader, a commercial vessel seized by the Houthi terrorist regime in November 2023. Houthi forces installed a radar system on the ship and have been using it to track vessels in the international maritime arena to facilitate further terrorist activities.”

“Additionally, the Ras Kanatib power plant, which served as a significant electricity supply facility for the Houthi regime’s military operations, was struck. This is another example of how the Houthi regime uses civilian infrastructure.”

“The Houthi terrorist regime serves as a central proxy of the Iranian regime and receives funding and weaponry for its operations. It is a partner in Iran’s global terrorist activity. The IDF is determined to continue operating decisively against any threat to the citizens of the State of Israel, wherever required,” the statement concluded.

The IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, had earlier issued an evacuation notice for Yemen’s ports, stating, “An urgent warning to those present in the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa, and Al-Salif, and to those in the Hodeidah-Ras Al-Khatib power station, which are under the control of the Houthi terror regime.”

“In the near future, the IDF will carry out strikes in these areas due to military activities taking place there. For your safety, we call on all those present in the designated areas, as well as vessels anchored nearby, to evacuate immediately. Remaining in these areas puts you in danger,” Adraee emphasized.

The IDF announced early Sunday morning, around 2:50 a.m., that it detected a missile launch from Yemen toward Israel, and that defense systems were activated to intercept the threat.

A few minutes later, sirens were triggered in the Judean Desert and Dead Sea areas.

The IDF updated that one missile launched from Yemen was intercepted. Magen David Adom (MDA) reported no calls regarding impacts or injuries.

On Tuesday evening, the IDF announced that a missile launch from Yemen toward Israel was detected. Air defense systems successfully intercepted the threat. The airspace was temporarily closed for landings and takeoffs.

MDA reported no casualties.

The military spokesperson of the Houthis, Yahya Saree, later claimed that the Yemeni group targeted Ben Gurion Airport in a missile attack on Israel.

“We launched a ballistic missile of the ‘Palestine 2’ type toward Ben Gurion Airport and three additional drones toward sensitive Israeli targets in the areas of Jaffa, Ashkelon, and Eilat,” claimed Saree.

The Israel Defense Forces carried out the Black Flag operation in Yemen, launching powerful strikes on Houthi targets, according to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and his statement on the social media platform X.

“The fate of Yemen will be like that of Tehran. As part of Operation Black Flag, the IDF struck terrorist targets belonging to the Houthi regime in the ports of Hodeidah, As-Salif, and Ras Issa, as well as the Ras Katib power plant and the Galaxy Leader vessel, which was seized by the Houthis around two years ago and is currently used for terrorist activities in the Red Sea,” said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.

He added that anyone who tries to attack Israel would face a retaliatory strike.

At the same time, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that fighter jets were used in the strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, including the three ports.

“The targets included the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa, and As-Salif, which the Houthis use to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime for terrorist operations against Israel and its allies. The strike was carried out in response to repeated Houthi attacks on Israel, its civilians, and civilian infrastructure, including the launching of drones and surface-to-surface missiles toward Israeli territory,” the IDF stated.

Israeli military officials also noted that the Houthis use maritime space to carry out terrorist activity against commercial ships and global sea trade. “The targeted sites show the regime’s systematic use of civilian infrastructure for terrorist purposes,” they added.

At 1:28 AM local time, military sources in Yemen told Al Mayadeen TV that Yemeni air defenses allegedly repelled the Israeli strike on the port of Hodeidah.

“In the first volley of anti-air missiles, we managed to push ten Israeli fighter jets out of the airspace before they could strike,” the sources claimed.

Israeli strikes on Yemen

On May 4, the Houthis launched a ballistic missile at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport. In response, Israel carried out airstrikes on the port city of Hodeidah.

On June 14, reports emerged that Israel struck Yemen again. It was believed at the time that the IDF had eliminated senior Houthi commander Muhammad al-Ghamari.