Prime Minister Netanyahu promises that Israel’s ‘long arm’ will extend to enemies globally, highlighting a strong commitment to national defense.
According to the prime minister, the Yemen strike showcased West Jerusalem’s resolve in punishing any assailant.
The Israel Defense Forces’ execution of a “precise and successful operation” over an extensive distance from the country’s perimeters has earned praise from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He believes it serves as a clear caution to all adversaries of the Jewish state.
On Saturday, Israel’s military carried out its first ever direct and extensive airstrike on Yemen by targeting the port city of Hodeidah. The assault led to a significant blaze at the oil terminal in the port resulting in approximately 80 people injured according to preliminary records provided by Sanaa’s health ministry.
On Saturday evening, Netanyahu asserted in a video statement that the port we assaulted was not an unsuspecting one. According to him, it had been utilized for military objectives and served as a conduit through which lethal weaponry furnished by Iran was given to the Houthis.
“The Israeli leader emphasized that this strike is a direct retaliation for the drone attack which took place yesterday, resulting in the death of one person and several injuries merely hundred yards away from the US Consulate situated in Tel Aviv.” This statement was made only days before his scheduled speech to be delivered at the US Congress located in Washington DC.
On early Friday, the Houthi rebels lauded a drone attack as an important military maneuver but it resulted in one Israeli citizen dead and ten others were wounded. The IDF was unable to intercept or alert about the mishap which they attributed to human error while admitting no specifics. However, local media reported that air defenses had already detected it beforehand.
According to the Times of Israel, Netanyahu asserted in a Hebrew version of his statement that by attacking Yemen, Israel has effectively communicated to its foes that no destination is beyond the reach of their formidable might.
Since October, the Houthi faction that governs a significant portion of Yemen has been launching assaults on merchant ships linked to Israel in the area as an expression of solidarity with Gaza Palestinians. Despite claims by a US and UK-led coalition that this group is supposedly backed by Iran, their airstrikes against them seem to have produced negligible outcomes.
“We have been attacked by the Houthis on more than 200 occasions. The moment they caused harm to an Israeli citizen, we retaliated against them. We will not hesitate to do so wherever it is necessary,” stated Yoav Gallant, the Defense Minister of Israel in a statement released on Saturday.
On X (previously Twitter), Mohamed Ali al-Houthi from the Supreme Political Council in Yemen stated that the Houthis will retaliate against Israel’s raid with more significant attacks. In addition, Houthi representative Mohammed Abdulsalam labeled this recent Israeli assault as a blatant act of aggression aimed to intensify grievances among inhabitants and force Yemen into discontinuing their support for Gaza.
