Jerusalem: Israel said its warplanes hit "military targets of the Houthis terrorist regime" on Saturday, a day after a drone attack claimed by Yemeni rebels killed a civilian in Tel Aviv.
"The blood of Israeli citizens has a price," Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned rivals across the Middle East after the strike was announced. He said more operations would follow "if they dare to attack us".
Israeli "fighter jets struck military targets of the Houthis terrorist regime in the area of Hodeida port in Yemen in response to the hundreds of attacks carried out against the state of Israel in recent months," a military statement said.
The Houthis have claimed attacks on Israeli cities including Ashdod, Haifa and Eilat, but Friday's strike on Tel Aviv appears to have been the first to breach Israel's vaunted air defences.
Gallant on Friday vowed to "settle the score" following the Tel Aviv attack that was claimed by the Houthis as an operation to show solidarity with Palestinians fighting in the Gaza war.
"The fire that is currently burning in Hodeida, is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear," Gallant said after Saturday's operation.
"The Houthis attacked us over 200 times. The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required.
"The blood of Israeli citizens has a price. This has been made clear in Lebanon, in Gaza, in Yemen, and in other places - if they will dare to attack us, the result will be identical."
Saudi Arabia denies involvement
Saudi Arabia said it had nothing to do with the Israeli air strikes on Hodeidah and that it will not allow anyone to use the Kingdom's airspace for offensive purposes.
“The Kingdom has no relation or involvement in the targeting of Hodeidah, and the Kingdom will not allow any entity to violate its airspace,” Brigadier General Turki Al Malki, spokesman for the Saudi Ministry of Defense, said in a statement on the X.
Israel blamed for the strikes
The Houthis-run health ministry blamed Israel for a series of strikes on a fuel depot in the port city, adding that the strikes caused casualties.
"The Israeli enemy's raids on oil storage facilities in the port of Hodeida" have lead to deaths and injuries, the health ministry said in a statement carried by Houthis-run media, without specifying a toll.
"The Zionist entity will pay the price for targeting civilian facilities, and we will meet escalation with escalation," Houthis politburo member Mohammed Al Bukhaiti said in a post on social media
'Warning to Iran'
Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the Yemen attack was also a warning to Iran.
He said the Israeli military "today delivered a severe blow to Iran's terrorist branch in Yemen. Iran supports, trains and finances the Houthis terrorist organisation as part of the regional network of terrorist organisations it operates in the area to attack the state of Israel."
Katz added: "We will not tolerate or remain silent, and we will strike anyone who poses a threat to our citizens.
"This is the time for the international community to maximise sanctions on Iran - under whose direction the Houthis are severely damaging the freedom of navigation and trade routes. Iran is the head of the snake - it must be stopped now."
