Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today sent a stern warning to anyone “doubting” Israel after Israeli warplanes killed three people in the Houthi-controlled Yemeni port of Hodeida.

The strikes on the key port are the first claimed by Israel in the Arabian peninsula’s poorest country and came in “direct response” to Iran-backed rebels’ drone attack in Tel Aviv on Friday that killed an Israeli civilian.

“I have a simple message for Israel’s enemies: Do not doubt Israel’s determination to defend itself on every front. All those who seek to harm us will pay a very heavy price for their aggression,” Netanyahu said in a televised address.

He also said the port that was targeted was not an “innocent port”.  

“It was used as their (Houthis) entry point for weapons that are supplied by Iran to its Houthi terrorist proxies. The Houthis have used those weapons to attack Israel, to attack Arab states in the region, to attack many others,” Netanyahu said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening:

“From the beginning of the war, I made it clear that Israel will act against all those who attack us.

This is why earlier today, I asked the Israeli cabinet to back my decision to strike against the Houthi targets in Yemen. pic.twitter.com/xWE3KXQaeV

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) July 20, 2024

“This strike comes in direct response to the killer drone attack that killed one person and injured several others, a hundred yards from the US Consulate in Tel Aviv. But the aggression of the Houthis goes well beyond that single attack. For the past eight months, the Houthis have launched hundreds of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones against Israel,” he said.

Netanyahu also said the “only reason those attacks have not caused a greater loss of life has been the defensive measures taken by Israel and its allies, which together have intercepted hundreds of projectiles”.

“But the drone attack that struck Israel on Friday shows that more than defensive action is needed to curtail the Houthis. Offensive action is also needed. It’s needed to ensure that Iran’s terror proxies pay a price for their brazen aggression,” he added

He thanked the United States, Britain, France, and other members of the international maritime coalition that was formed to repel Houthi attacks.

Israeli Jets Strike Yemen Rebels At Hodeida Port

The Israeli strikes killed three people and wounded 87 at Hodeida port. The attack targeted “fuel storage facilities and a power plant” in Hodeida “to pressure Yemen to stop supporting” Palestinians in Gaza, top Houthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam said while referring to the Israel-Hamas war.

Hodeida port, which is a vital entry point for imports and international aid for rebel-held areas of Yemen, had remained largely untouched through the decade-long war between the Houthis and the internationally recognised government propped up by neighbouring Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis’ Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, has now warned that the Israeli strikes on Hodeida marked a dangerous turn nine months into the war in Gaza.