The Israeli military announced that it had launched attacks against Houthi targets at three Yemeni ports and a power station, marking the first Israeli strike on Yemen in nearly a month. Israeli warplanes also struck the cargo ship Galaxy Leader, which had been held by the Houthis in the Red Sea since 2023.

According to the military, the strikes targeted the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa, and Al-Salif, along with the Ras Kathib power station. These operations were carried out in response to what Israel described as repeated Houthi attacks against it.

Israel also confirmed that it had targeted the Galaxy Leader at Ras Issa port, where the ship had been held since late 2023.

The military stated, “The terrorist Houthi regime had installed a radar system on the ship and was using it to monitor international waters to support the regime’s terrorist activities.”

For their part, the Houthis claim that the Galaxy Leader is an Israeli ship, which they seized from the Red Sea as part of a campaign to prevent commercial vessels from reaching Israel in solidarity with the Gaza Strip.

The Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV reported that Israel launched a series of airstrikes on Hodeidah shortly after issuing a warning to evacuate the three Yemeni ports.