The Israeli military says its air force has carried out its most powerful strike in Yemen in response to the Houthi movement's repeated drone and missile attacks on Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said dozens of its aircraft bombed targets belonging to the Houthis' security and intelligence services, and military in the capital Sanaa.
The Houthi-run government's health ministry denounced what it called Israel's brutal crime, stating that civilian facilities and residential buildings were hit, resulting in eight deaths and numerous injuries.
This incident occurs on the heels of a Houthi drone strike that injured 22 individuals in the Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat.
The Houthis have had control over much of northwestern Yemen since their rise against the country's internationally recognized government ten years ago, leading to a longstanding civil war. They began targeting Israel and international shipping in the region shortly after the current conflict involving Israel and Hamas escalated in October 2023, claiming their actions were in support of the Palestinians.
Israeli forces have conducted several airstrikes in Yemen as retaliation for the drones and missiles directed toward its territory by the Houthis.
Footage from Sanaa showed significant smoke rising from various locations following the Israeli strikes, which reportedly hit civilian areas as well as military targets just before a scheduled speech by Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi.
Health ministry officials reported extensive damage to residential districts, calling for urgent international intervention to address what they termed war crimes.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz emphasized via social media that Israel had executed a significant operation against Houthi positions, asserting that the IDF will continue to respond aggressively to ongoing attacks from the Houthi regime.
The IDF also noted that 98% of the drones launched from Yemen had been intercepted since the latest escalation of conflict began, but acknowledged that some efforts had failed due to late detection.
The Houthi spokesperson characterized the assaults as responses to what they described as Israel's genocidal acts against Palestinians, underscoring the complex and deeply rooted issues spurring the violence. Recent strikes have drawn global attention, particularly regarding the reported deaths of journalists during previous air attacks, raising concerns regarding freedom of the press amidst warfare.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said dozens of its aircraft bombed targets belonging to the Houthis' security and intelligence services, and military in the capital Sanaa.
The Houthi-run government's health ministry denounced what it called Israel's brutal crime, stating that civilian facilities and residential buildings were hit, resulting in eight deaths and numerous injuries.
This incident occurs on the heels of a Houthi drone strike that injured 22 individuals in the Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat.
The Houthis have had control over much of northwestern Yemen since their rise against the country's internationally recognized government ten years ago, leading to a longstanding civil war. They began targeting Israel and international shipping in the region shortly after the current conflict involving Israel and Hamas escalated in October 2023, claiming their actions were in support of the Palestinians.
Israeli forces have conducted several airstrikes in Yemen as retaliation for the drones and missiles directed toward its territory by the Houthis.
Footage from Sanaa showed significant smoke rising from various locations following the Israeli strikes, which reportedly hit civilian areas as well as military targets just before a scheduled speech by Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi.
Health ministry officials reported extensive damage to residential districts, calling for urgent international intervention to address what they termed war crimes.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz emphasized via social media that Israel had executed a significant operation against Houthi positions, asserting that the IDF will continue to respond aggressively to ongoing attacks from the Houthi regime.
The IDF also noted that 98% of the drones launched from Yemen had been intercepted since the latest escalation of conflict began, but acknowledged that some efforts had failed due to late detection.
The Houthi spokesperson characterized the assaults as responses to what they described as Israel's genocidal acts against Palestinians, underscoring the complex and deeply rooted issues spurring the violence. Recent strikes have drawn global attention, particularly regarding the reported deaths of journalists during previous air attacks, raising concerns regarding freedom of the press amidst warfare.
