Israel carried out airstrikes on Yemen’s port city of Hodeida on Tuesday, prompting Iran-backed Houthi rebels to activate their air defenses.
The Israeli military said it targeted “military infrastructure” at the Hodeida port, claiming it was being used by the Houthis to transfer Iranian weapons for attacks against Israel and its allies.
“Our air defenses are currently confronting Israeli aircraft launching aggression against our country,” Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree wrote on X. He added that Houthi defenses “caused great confusion” for Israeli fighter jets, forcing some formations to withdraw before carrying out deeper strikes inside Yemen.
Funerals for slain journalists
The latest strikes came as hundreds attended funerals in Sanaa for 31 Yemeni journalists reportedly killed in Israeli airstrikes last week. Those attacks followed a Houthi drone strike that penetrated Israel’s air defenses and hit a southern Israeli airport, injuring one person.
According to the Houthi-run health ministry, last week’s Israeli strikes killed dozens in Sanaa, including the journalists, and damaged residential areas, a military headquarters, a fuel station, and the National Museum of Yemen. A government facility in Hazm, the capital of northern Jawf province, was also hit.
Israel said the strikes targeted Houthi intelligence and propaganda facilities, as well as a fuel depot.
Al-Masirah TV broadcast Tuesday’s funerals, showing coffins carried into a mosque. Despite what mourners described as a “huge loss,” turnout was lower than expected, with heavy rain blamed for keeping many away.
Concerns for press freedom
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said it is still working to verify the reported deaths but noted that strict Houthi censorship makes confirmation difficult. Human Rights Watch added that Israeli strikes also hit a media center in Sanaa housing two newspapers, calling it another example of the grave risks facing journalists in Yemen.
The Houthis, who say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians amid the war in Gaza, have been targeting Israel with drones and missiles, and striking ships in the Red Sea for more than 22 months.