Israel says it struck Houthi-held ports and cargo ship in Yemen

BBC News

Israel says the Galaxy Leader, a ship previously hijacked by Houthi rebels, was among the targets

The Israeli military says it has carried out air strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in response to repeated missile and drone attacks on Israel.

The military said the targets were the Red Sea ports of Hudaydah, Ras Issa and al-Salif, a nearby power station, and the cargo ship Galaxy Leader. The ship, hijacked by the Houthis in November 2023, was being used to monitor international shipping, according to the military.

The Houthis' military spokesman said the Iran-backed group's air defences "successfully" confronted the Israeli attack. There were no reports of any casualties.

Following the strikes, two missiles were launched from Yemen towards Israel, according to the Israeli military.

Sirens were triggered in several areas of the occupied West Bank and southern Israel. The military said it was reviewing its attempt to intercept the missiles.

Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported that the strikes on Sunday night hit the ports as well as the Ras Kanatib power station, north of Hudaydah, but it provided no further details on damage or casualties.

The Israeli military said about 20 fighter jets carried out the operation "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".

It alleged that the ports were used to transfer weapons from Iran and that Houthi forces had installed a radar system on the Bahamas-flagged Galaxy Leader "to track vessels in the international maritime arena to facilitate further terrorist activities".

The Israeli military said the Ras Kanatib power plant, which supplies electricity to the nearby cities of Ibb and Taizz, was used to power Houthi military operations.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that the Houthis "will continue to pay a heavy price for their actions".

"The fate of Yemen is the same as the fate 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," he said in a post on X.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement on Monday that the group's air defences "succeeded in confronting the Zionist aggression against our country and thwarting its plan to target a number of Yemeni cities".

"In retaliation to this aggression, and in continuation of triumphing for the oppressed Palestinian people, the missile and UAV forces carried out a joint military operation using 11 missiles and drones," he added, identifying the targets as Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport, the ports of Ashdod and Eilat, and a power station in Ashkelon.

Sarea also declared that the Houthis were "fully prepared for a sustained and prolonged confrontation" with Israel.

Yemen's port city of Hudaydah after it was struck by Israel in May 2025

The Houthis have controlled much of north-western Yemen since 2014, when they ousted the internationally-recognised government from the capital, Sanaa, and sparked a devastating civil war.

Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in October 2023, the Houthis have regularly launched missiles at Israel and attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, saying they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.

They have so far sunk two vessels, seized a third - the Galaxy Star - and killed four crew members. The 25-strong crew of Galaxy Leader were released in January 2025.

In May, the Houthis agreed a ceasefire deal with the US following seven weeks of intensified US strikes on Yemen in response to the attacks on international shipping.

However, the group said the agreement did not include an end to attacks on Israel, which has conducted multiple rounds of retaliatory strikes on Yemen.

In May, Israeli navy ships struck targets in Hudaydah, which is the main entry point for food and other humanitarian aid for millions of Yemenis.

As well as claiming to have fired at Ben Gurion airport, the Houthis also said they targeted a Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated bulk carrier Magic Seas in the Red Sea.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said the ship was 51 nautical miles (94km) first attacked with gunfire and self-propelled grenades fired from multiple small boats. Armed security teams on board returned fire, it added.

Maritime security firm Ambrey said the Magic Seas was later also targeted with four unmanned surface vehicles, or sea drones, and missiles. Two of the drones hit the port side of the vessel, damaging it cargo and causing a fire, it added.

The UKMTO said the crew were safe after being rescued by a passing merchant vessel.