Israel has launched a massive air strike on Yemen’s Hodeidah Port in response to the Houthi attack on Tel Aviv’s main airport that occurred on Sunday, 04 May. As per reports, as many as 50 bombs have been dropped on the Hodeidah Port in Yemen as Israeli war planes launched a coordinated strike on May 5.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu had promised to avenge the Tel Aviv airport attack.
❗️ BIBLICAL blaze rips through Yemen’s Hodeidah after Israeli airstrikes https://t.co/fggmR9CQGX pic.twitter.com/Qp51RpKP6R
— RT (@RT_com) May 5, 2025
Houthis of Yemen, backed by Iran, have been targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping for months. Most of their missiles targeted at Israel have been deflected by air defence systems so far, except one incident of hitting Tel Aviv city in 2024. The May 4 incident of a Houthi missile falling near Ben Gurion airport was an exception. Soon after Houthis had announced a comprehensive blockade of Israeli air space and declared that they would continue attacking the airports.
The Houthis had also sent emails to major International Airport organisation bodies, asking them to avoid the Israeli airspace as the airports would be constantly on their target.
Reports suggest that around 30 fighter planes were engaged from the Israeli side to bomb the Hodeidah Port and a cement factory nearby. Fuel depots and storage facilities were targeted, causing a massive oil spill and fire on seawater and land.
It is notable here that Yemen lies over 2000 km away from Israel, and the two nations are separated by the entire span of Saudi Arabia’s western coast along the Red Sea. The land distance even includes the breadth of Jordan after the Saudi mainland, still the Houthis have been trying to hit Israel with ballistic missiles for over a year.
Reuters reported that 70% of damage has been sighted at the port’s 5 docks, warehouses and customs area. The air strikes came when two container ships were unloading their cargo.
Yemen’s Hodeidah Port is the second largest port of the country after Aden. It handles 80% of the food supplies coming to Yemen. Houthi official Abdul Qader al-Mortada has stated that Israel should now wait for the ‘unimaginable’ counter attack by the Houthis.
The Houthi-run Saba news agency has reported that one person has been killed and 35 injured in the attack.
