Photo by cottonbro studio
On Tuesday, the Israeli navy launched an assault on the docks located in Yemen’s port city of Hodeida, which is under the control of rebel forces, likely inflicting damage on facilities crucial for aid deliveries to the starving, war-torn nation.
The Israeli military reported that missile ships from the navy executed the strikes, marking the first instance of its forces engaging in attacks against the Houthi rebels.
This attack on Tuesday coincides with the Houthis’ ongoing missile and drone assaults aimed at Israel amid its conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis communicated the details of the attack through their al-Masirah satellite news channel, stating that the docks were the target, although they did not provide further details.
On late Monday, Israel issued warnings online to the residents of Yemen, advising them to evacuate from the ports of Ras Isa, Hodeida, and al-Salif due to the Houthis’ alleged utilization of these seaports for launching attacks. The Israeli military characterized the port as a site for weapon transfers and highlighted it as another instance of the Houthi terrorist regime’s manipulative use of civilian infrastructure to further their terrorist agenda, as stated in a release on Tuesday.
Hodeida serves as the primary entry point for food and other humanitarian assistance for millions of Yemenis since the onset of the war, which began when the Houthis took control of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014.
The Houthis have been consistently executing missile and drone strikes against both commercial and military vessels in the area, which the group’s leadership has framed as a campaign to halt Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis targeted over 100 merchant ships with missiles and drones, resulting in the sinking of two vessels and the deaths of four sailors. This has significantly diminished the volume of trade passing through the Red Sea corridor, which typically facilitates the movement of $1 trillion worth of goods annually.
The Houthis temporarily ceased their attacks in a self-imposed truce until the United States initiated a comprehensive offensive against the rebels in mid-March. President Donald Trump had suspended those attacks just prior to his visit to the Middle East, asserting that the rebels had acquiesced to American demands.
On early Tuesday, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced via the social media platform X that US Navy vessels have navigated through the Red Sea and its Bab el-Mandeb Strait several times in recent days without encountering any Houthi assaults.
These movements were executed without opposition and illustrate the effectiveness of both Operation ROUGH RIDER and the President’s Peace Through Strength initiative, Hegseth stated prior to his first appearance before Congress since disclosing sensitive military information regarding America’s operations against the Houthis in a Signal chat.
It remains uncertain how the Houthis will react now that an assault has originated from the sea, as opposed to the air, from Israeli forces. In the meantime, a prolonged conflict in Yemen, which has lasted for a decade between the Houthis and the exiled government supported by a Saudi-led coalition, continues to be at a standstill.
