Jerusalem
CNN
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Israel attacked its target in Yemen on Monday night, saying Israeli forces fired a ballistic missile that hit Israel’s major airport the day after Iranians supported it.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate on Israel’s chosen location and location, promising a strong response on Sunday.
The Houthi Run Health ministry said at least one person was killed and another 35 were injured in an Israeli strike at Bajil cement factory in eastern Hodeidah.
The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) said 20 fighters had joined the mission — the first Israeli strike in Yemen in a matter of months — would hit the targets of dozens of Hoodeida and the surrounding area.
“The port of Hodeida is being used to relocate Iranian weapons, equipment for military purposes and other terrorist-related needs,” the IDF said in a statement. Israeli fighter jets also targeted cement plants east of Hodeida for use in building tunnels and military infrastructure, according to the IDF.
Al-Masirah of the Houthi Run TV channel said Hodeidah Port had been attacked at least six times, confirming an attack on a nearby cement factory.
Israeli forces made several attempts to intercept the ballistic missile launched in Tel Aviv on Sunday, but were unable to defeat it, resulting in successful attacks on the much-protected facility. This strike appears to be the first time an Israeli international airport has successfully targeted a group’s target.
On Sunday night, Iran-backed rebel groups said they would “impose a comprehensive air lockdown” on Israel by “recurring targets at airports.” It called for international airlines to cancel all scheduled flights at Israeli airports, which they planned accordingly.
Netanyahu convened Israeli security cabinet on Sunday afternoon to discuss the incident.
“We’ve acted before, we’ll act in the future too,” Netanyahu said in a video posted on social media. “I can’t go into detail about all of that. The US works with us to work with them. It’s “not alone,” he said.
Israel began several strikes against Yemen’s Houtsis in January, including targeting power plants and sea ports. The US military has implemented much broader strikes against Yemeni targets in recent months, hoping to weaken the group and disrupt the Hooty attacks on US naval and commercial vessels operating in the Middle East.
However, the attacks barely hindered the launch of the Hooty projectiles at the Israeli or the Red Sea US warships and at Bab al-Mandeb, two of the world’s most strategically important waterways. Houthis launched ballistic missiles in Israel for three consecutive days, leading to a strike that raided the airport. Last week, the US F/A-18 fighter jet fell from a carrier of aircraft in the Red Sea after the ship made a fierce turn to avoid a Houthi attack.
“The whole world is being challenged by the Housis,” Netanyahu told Cyprus President Nicos Cristodoudilez on Sunday. “We don’t tolerate it. We take very strong actions against them, and they always remember acting in the direction and support of their guardian Iran.”
Houthis warned on Sunday night that they could attack again and “impose a comprehensive air seal” on Israel by “repeated targeting airports.” It called for international airlines to cancel all scheduled flights at Israeli airports, which they planned accordingly.
