Israel launched airstrikes on a port in Yemen last Saturday after the Iranian-backed Houthis launched an attack on Tel Aviv the day before that killed one Israeli civilian and injured eight others.
The IDF said in a July 20 statement that fighter jets attacked Houthi military targets around Yemen’s Al Hudaydah Port in “response to the hundreds of attacks” launched by the Houthis against Israel in recent months.
The media outlet controlled by the Houthis claimed that the Israeli strikes caused deaths and injuries but offered no details.
A US official confirmed that the airstrikes were in response to the July 19 attack in Tel Aviv.
The official said the Houthi strike on Tel Aviv was carried out by a new Iranian-made drone called “Yafa,” which is capable of evading interception systems.
IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hargari confirmed that “no alert was triggered” and said the drone struck a building in the center of the city, killing one and slightly injuring eight others.
Hagari said the IDF’s preliminary investigation determined that the drone, which was launched from Yemen, was Iranian-made and included upgrades to allow for an extended range.
Following Israel’s retaliatory strike, Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam accused Israel of “blatant” aggression and said the airstrikes were designed to increase suffering and pressure the Houthis to abandon their support for Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel launched the July 20 airstrikes because the drone attack the day before was the first time an Iranian-backed Houthi attack “harmed an Israeli citizen.”
Gallant warned that there would be a price for “the blood of Israeli citizens,” and said that Israel would retaliate “in any place where it may be required.” He said that this has been the case in Gaza, Lebanon, and now Yemen, adding that if any other enemy dared to attack Israel, “the result will be identical.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted that the port targeted in the July 20 airstrikes was the “entry point” for the deadly weapons Iran supplies the Houthis. He warned Israel’s enemies that his country would protect itself “in every way, on every front” and that those who seek to harm Israel would “pay a very heavy price.”