DRAMATIC new footage shows the moment Israeli bombs struck Yemen’s Iran-backed port sparking a massive explosion and sending a mushroom cloud into the sky.
Israel launched an attack on the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah in retaliation after the Houthis long-range drone hit in Tel Aviv.
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Israel’s deadly Saturday assault – the first strike on Houthi targets in Yemen – reportedly left six people dead and 80 others injured.
Shocking footage from the airstrike shows thick black smoke billowing in the air followed by a huge explosion as people try to flee.
Images show a massive blaze erupting at an oil storage facility after the attack.
At least a dozen Israeli fighter jets including the F-35 stealth fighter jets, F-15 fighters, reconnaissance aircraft and refuelling planes played a part in the attack, Times of Israel reported.
The IDF wrote on X, “IDF fighter jets struck military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime in the area of the Al Hudaydah Port in Yemen in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the State of Israel in recent months.”
Foreign minister Israel Katz said the attacks have delivered a “severe blow” to the terror organisation.
IDF says the port strikes were to cause “severe financial damage” and prevent the Houthis from sourcing weapons from Iran.
Netanyahu said that Hodeidah was “not an innocent port” adding: “It was used for military purposes, it was used as an entry point for deadly weapons supplied to the Houthis by Iran.”
Iran-backed Houthis have vowed a “large and significant” response to the attack.
The rebel group claimed to have launched ballistic and cruise missiles at Eilat, southern Israel but added that this did not amount to “significant” retaliation.
The Israeli military said that its Arrow 3 missile defence system had shot down a surface-to-surface missile launched from Yemen yesterday.
Before the interception, sirens sounded in the Red Sea port city of Eilat, sending residents running for shelter.
Separately, US Central Command said on Saturday that it “successfully destroyed” a Houthi drone over the Red Sea.
Israel had vowed to “settle the score” after a drone struck Tel Aviv on Friday, killing one person.
The blast left a building crumbling and shards of glass raining down onto the streets near the US Embassy with 10 people being rushed to hospital.
Who are the Houthis?
THE Houthi rebels are terrorising the Red Sea by launching persistent missile and drone attacks on vessels and warships – but who are they?
The Shia militant group, which now controls most of Yemen, spent over a decade being largely ignored by the world.
However, since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war they sprung from relative obscurity to holding roughly £1trillion of world trade hostage – turning one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes into an active warzone.
Their warped slogan is “Death to America, Death to Israel, curse the Jews and victory to Islam”.
Why are they attacking ships?
The rebel group has been launching relentless drone and missile attacks on any ships – including warships – they deem to be connected with Israel in solidarity with their ally, Hamas.
However, in reality there have been frequent attacks on commercial vessels with little or no link to Israel – forcing global sea traffic to halt operations in the region and sending shipping prices soaring.
The sea assaults have threatened to ignite a full-blown war in the Middle East as intense ripples from Israel’s war in Gaza are felt across the region – with Iran suspected of stoking the chaos.
Houthi attacks in the Red Sea increased 50 per cent between November and December as the rebel group’s chiefs pledged their assaults would continue until Israel stopped its offensive in Gaza.
And despite repeated threats from the West and joint US and UK strikes blitzing their strongholds in Yemen – Iran’s terror proxy appears undeterred.
Chilling footage shows the moment the strike hits as a huge fireball erupts over the city’s skyline.
A 37-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman were reportedly hit by glass shrapnel – leaving them needing medical treatment.
A man was found dead in an apartment near to the explosion with police investigating whether it was related to the blast.
IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that the UAV was apparently launched from Yemen.
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