| 29 September 2024 Israeli attacks on Yemen | |
|---|---|
| Part of theRed Sea crisis and theMiddle Eastern crisis (2023–present) | |
| Type | Airstrikes |
| Locations | Ras Isa, Yemen |
| Target | Power plants, fuel facilities |
| Date | 29 September 2024 |
| Executed by |  Israel Defense Forces |
| Casualties | 6 dead, 57+ injured |
On 29 September 2024, Israel launched attacks in Yemen against the ports ofAl Hudaydah andRas Isa, both located in theHouthi-controlled part of the country, usingF-15I,F-35I Adir, andF-16I aircraft.[1] Six people were killed[2][3] and at least 57 were injured.[2][4] Widespread power outages were caused in the city of Hodeida itself.[4] The attacks caused significant damage to Yemeni port facilities and power generating stations.[4]
The Israeli attacks were in response to the fire of aballistic missile by the Houthis directed at Israel'sBen Gurion International Airport a day before, that wasintercepted by Israel.[5] The Houthis said their missile attacks are part of a broader campaign to express solidarity with the people of Gaza and Lebanon.[6][7] This was the second major Israeli retaliatory strike against the Houthis sinceOperation Outstretched Arm on 20 July 2024, which saw Israeli aircraft attacking the Al Hudaydah port.
TheHouthi movement, officially "Ansar Allah", is an Islamist group in Yemen that follows the Shiite Zaydi faith.[8] The movement has been fueled by decades of discrimination against the Shi'ites in Yemen and took power in 2014.[8] In 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies,with American support, launched a war against the Houthis, and imposed a naval and air blockade. The resultingfamine has claimed the lives of an estimated 150,000 people.[8] They were designated aterrorist organization by the United States,[9][10] Saudi Arabia,[11] United Arab Emirates,[12] Malaysia,[13] and Australia.[14][15] The group hascalled for the destruction of Israel.[8] The movement, whose militants oppose Yemen's internationally recognized government, has controlled a considerable swath of the country's territory along the Red Sea since 2014.
After the2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel and subsequent Israeliinvasion andbombardment of theGaza Strip, the Houthis launched retaliatory attacks on Israel, promising to continue them until "Israeli aggression stops."[8][16][17]
Houthi attacks oninternational shipping vessels in the Red Sea were deemed by some as international piracy,[18][19] drawing a military response from a number of countries. In January 2024, theUN Security Council adoptedResolution 2722, condemning the Houthi attacks and affirmingfreedom of navigation.[20] The United States-ledOperation Prosperity Guardian was launched to protect Red Sea shipping. Since 12 January, the US and UK have led coalitionair and missile strikes against the Houthis, while other countries are independently patrolling the waters near Yemen.[21]
On 19 Julya drone launched by Houthi militants from Yemen hitTel Aviv, killing one person and injuring 10 others.[22][23]
The next day,Israel attacked the Hodeidah port in Yemen, killing 14 people and injuring 90. Houthi officials condemned the Israeli attacks, and said they will not stop until what they called"the genocide in Gaza" is stopped.[24] Among those killed in the Israeli attacks were 12 employees of theYemen Petroleum Corporation.[25] The attacks reportedly targeted a power station,[26][27] and caused power outages for the local population.[28]
On September 28 2024, theHouthis launched aballistic missile fromYemen towardsBen Gurion Airport inIsrael, promptingair raid sirens inTel Aviv and most ofCentral Israel.[29]
The Israeli military said it used dozens of aircraft, including fighter jets, refuelers and spy planes, to make the attacks some 1,800 km from Israel.[30]
According to early reports the targets were fuel facilities,power stations and docks at the Ras Issa andHodeidah ports.[7] The attacks killed one port worker and three electrical engineers.[6] Residents said the attacks power outages in most of Hodeidah.[7]
Israel acknowledged that the ports are used to import oil, but said they are also used to import weapons and the oil can be used for military purposes.[30]
Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the airstrikes, labeling them "inhumane" and accusing the United States of backing Israeli attacks against civilian facilities.[6]
Israeli defence minister tweeted “Our message is clear, for us, no place is too far” in reference to the long distance traversed to conduct the attacks.[30]
Al Jazeera's correspondent reports, citing Yemen's Houthis, that six people were killed and 57 others wounded when Israelis bombed Hodeidah and Ras Issa yesterday.
Many Houthi attacks on commercial vessels have not appeared discriminate or linked to stated demands. Since October 17, the Houthis have attacked commercial and naval vessels more than 60 times (Figure 1)
| Background | |
|---|---|
| 2024 Iran–Israel conflict |
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| 2025 Iran–Israel war | |
| Hezbollah–Israel conflict |
|
| Israeli–Palestinian conflict | |
| Gaza–Israel conflict |
|
| Syrian civil war |
|
| Red Sea crisis | |
| International incidents |
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| Nuclear program of Iran | |
| Related |
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