THE ISRAELI DEFENCE Forces have confirmed that a number of its aircraft have struck port facilities in the Yemeni port of Hodeidha. The Houthi-run health ministry reported several strikes in the area earlier today that they said caused casualties.

In a statement, the Israeli Defence Forces said the strikes were a response to “the hundreds of attacks carried out against the State of Israel in recent months”.

The strikes come a day after a Houthi drone struck the Israeli city of Tel Aviv.

In a statement on social media, top Houthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam reported a “brutal Israel aggression against Yemen.”

He said the attack targeted “fuel storage facilities and a power plant” in Hodeida “to pressure Yemen to stop supporting” Palestinians in the Gaza war.

The Houthis have been disrupting shipping in the Red Sea in a campaign to put pressure on Israel to end its campaign in Gaza. In response, the US, UK, and allies have been conducting air strikes against the group.

The strike is a significant escalation by Israel, which has been engaged in fighting against Hamas in Gaza since October, and faces the threat of intensified conflict with the Lebanese Hezbollah group on its northern border.

With reporting by AFP.