AL HUDAYDAH: Yemen’s Houthi rebels have pledged a “huge” response to Israel following a deadly airstrike on the port city of Al Hudaydah, as violence sparked by the Israeli offensive in Gaza gripped the region.
Israel bombed Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen in quick succession this week in response to attacks from regional armed groups.
Despite the United States asserting that a deal to end more than nine months of devastating war between Israel and Hamas was near the “goal line”, the Israeli military said it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen as it pressed on with its military offensive in the besieged Gaza Strip.
According to the Gaza Civil Defense Agency, the ongoing Israeli violence has killed dozens of Palestinians since Saturday, including casualties from strikes on residential areas in Nuseirat, Bureij, and near Khan Younis. Residents of Rafah in the south reported heavy Israeli artillery fire, indicating a major military operation underway.
The deadly Israeli strikes in Gaza came hours after Hezbollah and Hamas said they fired at Israeli positions from south Lebanon. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have vowed retaliation against Israel in response to airstrikes on Al Hudaydah port, a vital lifeline controlled by the Houthis along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
Yahya Saree, a spokesperson for the Houthi military, emphasized that their response to Israeli aggression “is inevitably coming and will be huge.”
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant acknowledged the significance of the airstrikes on Al Hudaydah, underscoring their regional impact. He warned of further Israeli operations if the Houthis continued to provoke attacks.
The strikes on Al Hudaydah resulted in three fatalities and 87 injuries, according to health officials cited by Houthi media. Firefighters battled to contain a massive blaze ignited by the Israeli strikes, which reportedly engulfed fuel storage tanks and a power plant.
In a retaliatory move, the Israeli military reported intercepting a missile launched from Yemen towards the Red Sea resort town of Eilat on Sunday. Saree confirmed that the Houthis had launched ballistic missiles towards Eilat in response to Israeli actions.
The trio of armed groups in Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen has vowed to keep up attacks on Israel until a truce ends the violence in Gaza, which lies in ruins, with most residents forced to flee their homes.
The ongoing violence has left Gaza devastated, with widespread destruction and mounting casualties among civilians. Since October 7, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza killing at least 38,983 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to data from the health ministry in Gaza.
The ongoing Israeli bombardment campaign has also unleashed hunger and health crises in Gaza, with Israel and the United Nations trading blame for vital aid supplies failing to reach those in need.
After the detection of poliovirus in Gaza sewage, though no individual cases, the World Health Organization said there were “monumental” constraints to mounting a timely response.
WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said Friday the agency believes many more diseases are “spreading out of control” inside Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Washington, where he faces mounting pressure to negotiate a ceasefire amidst the escalating violence. He is set to meet with US President Joe Biden following talks with lawmakers on Wednesday.
