Israel has carried out a wave of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, hitting ports, a power facility, and the radar system of a ship previously seized by the rebel group. The Houthis responded with missile attacks aimed at Israeli territory, marking a renewed escalation in cross-border hostilities linked to the broader fallout from the Israel-Hamas war.

According to the Israeli military, its forces struck three Red Sea ports under Houthi control - Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and as-Salif - as well as the Ras Kanatib (also referred to as Ras Kathib) power plant. The strikes also targeted the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier captured by the Houthis in November 2023. A radar system on board the vessel was reportedly destroyed in the operation.

The Israeli military said the targeted ports were being used to receive weapons shipments from Iran, which were then allegedly funneled into operations against Israel and its allies. It framed the strikes as preemptive and defensive in nature, aimed at disrupting the transfer of arms to the Houthis.

In response, Houthi forces launched missiles toward Israel. Israeli officials confirmed that sirens were activated in several areas including Jerusalem, Hebron, and the Dead Sea region. While at least one missile reportedly made impact, emergency services said there were no injuries or confirmed damage. Israel stated it had attempted to intercept the incoming projectiles.

A spokesman for the Houthis, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, said the group’s air defense systems successfully engaged Israeli aircraft during the attack, forcing them to withdraw. Another spokesman, Ameen Hayyan Yemeni, claimed locally made surface-to-air missiles caused operational disruptions for Israeli forces and created confusion in their command centers. According to Yemeni media aligned with the Houthis, there were roughly 30 minutes of engagement between Houthi air defenses and Israeli forces. The group has not acknowledged any casualties or damage, and stated it remains ready to retaliate against future Israeli actions.

This marks Israel’s first strike on Yemen in nearly a month. The confrontation comes at a time of regional uncertainty: diplomatic efforts to negotiate a new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are ongoing, and Iran is reportedly weighing whether to resume nuclear negotiations with the U.S. following American airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

The situation was further complicated over the weekend by an attack on a cargo ship in the Red Sea. The Liberian-flagged vessel came under fire, reportedly from grenade launchers and bomb-laden drone boats, forcing the crew to abandon the ship. While no group has officially claimed responsibility, the United Kingdom’s maritime security agency said the attack aligned with the Houthis’ known methods.

The Houthis have maintained that their actions are part of a broader campaign of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Since the beginning of Israel’s military operation in the strip in late 2023, the group has launched hundreds of missiles toward Israel and conducted more than 100 attacks on commercial shipping vessels transiting the Red Sea. A brief pause in Houthi activity followed a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in January, but attacks resumed after U.S. airstrikes on Yemen in March killed nearly 300 people.

Meanwhile, Israel has also expanded its military operations to other regional fronts. On Sunday night, Israeli jets struck Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley. The military claimed it targeted a rocket launch site and infrastructure used for storing and producing what it called “strategic weapons.” These strikes follow continued tensions with Hezbollah, despite a formal ceasefire on November 27 last year that ended more than a year of open hostilities.

Beyond Gaza and Lebanon, Israel has carried out attacks in the occupied West Bank, Syria, and Iran over the past year, underlining the widening scope of its military campaign amid one of the region’s most volatile periods in recent memory.