Health Ministry says 80 wounded in Israeli strikes on Yemen
At least 80 people were wounded in Israeli strikes that hit the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah earlier today, the Health Ministry run by the Houthis has said.
The strikes, which triggered a massive blaze in the port area, left “80 wounded, most of them with severe burns,” the ministry said in a statement carried by Houthi media. It did not report any deaths.
Iran condemns Israel’s air strikes on Yemen
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has warned about the possibility of a wider regional war due to Israel’s “dangerous adventurism”.
“Quiet will not return to the region so long as Israeli attacks on Palestine, especially in the Gaza Strip, continue,” the spokesman said.
Israel and “its allies, especially Washington, are responsible for the dangerous repercussions of the attacks on Yemen”.
Ceasefire in Gaza key to regional de-escalation
Israel’s attack on Yemen’s port of Hodeidah is the latest demonstration that fears of a regional escalation are grounded, says HA Hellyer, a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London.
“Israel may think that it can retaliate just this one time without taking it up a notch, but the Houthis have said that they will retaliate and respond,” Hellyer told Al Jazeera.
“This attack doesn’t remove the Houthis’ resolve or establish Israeli deterrence. All it does is present the Houthis as a worthwhile adversary and they might make a lot out of that.”
The analyst said the Houthis made it clear that they will only stop when a ceasefire deal is achieved in Gaza. Their conduct during a temporary reprieve in fighting in the Strip earlier this year suggests they take the pledge seriously.
Therefore, “the key to unlocking a de-escalation is a ceasefire in Gaza”, Hellyer said.
Herzog says Israel has ‘fundamental duty’ to act against its enemies
Israeli President Isaac Herzog says Israel has a “fundamental duty” to act against its enemies and that its attack on the Houthi-held port city of Hodeidah sends them “a clear message”.
“Israel has shown maximum restraint for many months in the face of repeated attacks by the Houthis against our citizens,” he wrote on X.
“Israel has every right to defend itself and its people, and indeed a fundamental duty to act against anyone who undermines its sovereignty.”
I spoke this evening with Air Force Commander, Major General Tomer Bar, and thanked him and the pilots, technicians, control and intelligence personnel, and all the IDF officers and servicemen and women from the various units, for the robust and precise operation against the…
— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) July 20, 2024
Israeli senior ministers boycotted vote to approve Yemen strike: Report
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Justice Minister Yariv Levin have boycotted a security cabinet meeting in which the decision to strike Yemen’s Hodeidah port was made, Israeli media have reported, saying they were not informed of the plan ahead of time.
Channel 12 reported that the ministers refused to attend after being summoned to the meeting just 45 minutes in advance. The Walla news outlet said relevant information was sent from the defence establishment to the Knesset as the attack was already under way.
Disagreements within the Israeli coalition governments have simmered since the onset of the war on Gaza.
