Red Sea Crisis: Israel Bombs Yemeni Ports and Power Plant in Retaliation Against Houthis

Israel hit Houthi targets early Monday, July 7, striking three Yemeni ports and a power plant—this, just hours after a ship was attacked near the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

The Israeli military said these strikes on Hodeidah, Ras Isa, Salif ports, and the Ras Qantib power plant came as payback for repeated Houthi attacks on Israel. It’s the first time in nearly a month that Israel has launched such attacks on Yemeni soil.

Right before the strikes on Hodeidah, the Israeli military warned people to evacuate the three targeted ports. Israel also targeted the Galaxy Leader ship docked at Ras Isa port—a vessel the Houthis seized back in late 2023.

According to the Israeli military, the Houthis set up a radar system on that ship, using it to track vessels in international waters and further their operations.

Reuters picked up the military’s statement, calling the Houthis a “terrorist regime” and accusing them of using the ship for hostile surveillance.

So, what kicked this all off in the Red Sea? On Sunday night, July 6, crew members of a Liberian-flagged ship had to abandon their burning vessel after it was hammered by a series of attacks. The alert said eight skiffs went after the merchant ship as it travelled north through the Red Sea—a major escalation after months of Houthi attacks in this crucial trade corridor.

The UK’s Maritime Trade Operations Centre said the ship’s armed security team fired back during the initial attack, and that the incident was still unfolding. The attack took place about 100 kilometres southwest of Hodeidah, in waters patrolled by the Houthis.

(This is a developing story. More details are awaited.)

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