Israel Kills 35 In Yemen As Fire Exchange With Houthis Continues

Israel carried out strikes on Yemen’s capital Sanaa and northern province of Al Jawf, killing at least 35 people in a fresh offensive on the Iran-backed Houthi militant group as the tit-for-tat between both sides persists.

The Houthis, who took control of Sanaa in 2014, have been firing missiles and drones at Israel and ships in the Red Sea after Israel’s war with Hamas, another proxy of Iran, broke out in Gaza almost two years ago. The Jewish state in return has been carrying out airstrikes on Yemen, assassinating recently the prime minister and nine members of the Houthi cabinet.

The Israel Defense Forces on Wednesday attacked bases affiliated to the Houthis, including their military information office and a fuel storage site, according to Defense Minister Israel Katz and the IDF. The strikes killed 28 in Sanaa and seven in Al Jawf, reported the Houthi-held Saba news agency. The assault wounded 131 in total. 

Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the attacks hit civilian targets, including the offices of local newspapers.

In late July, the Houthis vowed to escalate attacks on ships related to Israel in a bid to increase pressure on the country to further ease restrictions on the hunger-ravaged Gaza Strip. The group on Sunday fired a drone that hit the arrivals hall of Ramon Airport in southern Israel.

“We eliminated most of the members of the terrorist Houthi government. In response, the Houthis fired two days ago at the Ramon Airport,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday. “We struck them again today from the air,” he added.

“We will continue to strike. Whoever strikes us, whoever attacks us – we will reach them.”

Israel has stepped up its operation against Hamas by targeting Gaza City. It insists on demilitarizing the group whose attack in October 2023 on Israel killed 1,200 and saw 250 taken hostages, marking the beginning of the war. 

On Tuesday, the Israeli army conducted an unprecedented strike against senior Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital of Doha, escalating an already tense standoff between the country and Arab nations over the conflict.

Israel has also been conducting military attacks against Lebanon-based Hezbollah, another Iran-backed militant group, and in Syria. In June, Israeli forces initiated direct military confrontation with Iran, which lasted for over 12 days.