Israel strikes Yemen after Huthi attack on Ben Gurion airport

Israel struck Yemen in what the Huthis said was a joint raid with the United States, a day after the Iran-backed rebels claimed missile fire at Israel’s main airport.

The Huthi-run Al-Masirah television said six air strikes hit the port of Hodeida, on Yemen’s western coast, and reported an attack on Bajil district in the same province, blaming “US-Israeli aggression” for both.

Israel confirmed it had carried out the strikes, while a US official denied any part in the raid.

The Israeli military said its “fighter jets struck terror targets belonging to the Huthi terrorist regime along Yemen’s coastline and further inland”.

In a statement, it said the rebel-held Hodeida port “is used for the transfer of Iranian weapons, military equipment, and other equipment intended for terrorist purposes”.

In Bajil, the military said it hit a “concrete plant… which functions as a significant economic resource for the Huthis”.

A US defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that “US forces did not participate in the Israeli strikes on Yemen today.”

Anees al-Asbahi, spokesman for the Huthi-run health ministry, said in a post on X that 21 people were wounded in the attack on Bajil.

Earlier the Huthis’ Saba news agency said US strikes hit the capital Sanaa and the airport road, wounding 16 people according to the rebels’ health ministry.

Al-Masirah reported another four strikes in Sanaa and seven in the northern governorate of Al-Jawf.

The reported strikes come after Israel said a missile fired from Yemen on Sunday struck inside the perimeter of Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv for the first time.

The Huthis claimed responsibility, saying they fired a “hypersonic ballistic missile” at Ben Gurion airport, Israel’s main international gateway.

The rebels said they “will work to impose a comprehensive air blockade on the Israeli enemy by repeatedly targeting airports, most notably… Ben Gurion airport”.

The missile gouged a wide crater in the ground near an airport parking lot, injuring six people and forcing airlines to suspend flights.

– Iran denial –

The Huthis, who control swathes of Yemen including Sanaa, have launched missiles and drones targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping throughout the Gaza war that began in October 2023, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians.

US strikes against the Huthis began under former president Joe Biden but have intensified under his successor Donald Trump.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed a tough response against the Huthis, as well as its main backer Iran, over the airport attack.

In a video published on Telegram, Netanyahu said Israel had “acted against” the Huthis in the past and “will act in the future”.

“It will not happen in one bang, but there will be many bangs,” he added.

On social media platform X, Netanyahu said Israel would also respond to Iran at “a time and place of our choosing”.

Iran on Monday denied supporting the attack, calling it an “independent decision” by the Yemeni rebels taken in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Reacting to Netanyahu’s threats, the Islamic republic warned it would retaliate against any attack on its territory.

“Iran underlines (its) firm determination… to defend itself,” the Iranian foreign ministry said, warning Israel and the United States of “consequences”.

An Israeli military spokesperson told AFP that Sunday’s attack was “the first time” that a missile has directly struck inside the airport perimeter.

An AFP journalist inside the airport during the attack said he heard a “loud bang” at around 9:35 am (0635 GMT), adding that the “reverberation was very strong”.

Flights resumed after being halted briefly, with the aviation authority saying on Sunday that Ben Gurion was “open and operational”.

Some international airlines have cancelled flights, including SWISS which extended its suspension until Sunday.