20 Israeli jets attack two ports and a power plant used by Houthis in Yemen
IAF strikes come soon after after reports of US-led raid on area north of Sanaa; PM vows more attacks if terror group’s drone, ballistic missile fire continues
The Israeli Air Force struck Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, as Israeli officials threatened to hunt down the leaders of the Iran-backed group unless they stopped their drone and missile attacks.
Israel’s airstrikes came shortly after a US-led coalition reportedly hit Houthi sites in the Harf Sufyan District, north of Sanaa. Israeli officials said the strikes were coordinated with the US, but were not a joint operation.
The Israel Defense Forces said over 20 IAF aircraft — including fighter jets, refuelers and spy planes — participated in the Israeli strikes, dropping some 50 munitions on three main targets: the Hodeidah and Ras Isa ports on Yemen’s western coast, and the Hezyaz power plant near the capital Sanaa.
According to the military, the power plant served “as a central source of energy for the Houthi terrorist regime in its military activities.”
After the strikes, Israeli leaders warned that the group would face further attacks and see its leaders targeted if the missile and drone strikes continued. Three drones from Yemen were intercepted on Thursday night.
The Houthis in Yemen will continue to pay a price for attacking Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after Israeli warplanes struck ports and other targets controlled by the rebel group.
“As we promised, the Houthis are paying, and will continue to pay, a heavy price for their aggression against us,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
“The Houthis are an extension of Iran and they serve the terrorist goals of the Iranian axis in the Middle East,” he continued. “They pose a danger to Israel and the entire region, including harming global freedom of navigation.”
“We will act with determination and force against any entity that threatens Israel – wherever and whenever necessary,” Netanyahu concluded.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said “there will be no immunity” for leaders of the Iran-backed group.
“Today’s strike by the IDF in Yemen is a clear message to the leader of the Houthi terrorist group, Abd al-Malik al-Houthi, and the leaders of the Houthi terrorist group in Yemen: There will be no immunity for anyone,” Katz said in a video statement.
“We will pursue and hunt you down and destroy the terror infrastructures you have established,” he vowed.
The strikes today were launched as a weekly protest was held in Yemen’s capital Sanaa in support of the Gaza Strip and against Israel.
“Thousands of Houthi [supporters] who participated in a hate march against Israel heard up close the power of the Air Force planes,” Katz said.
“The port of Hodeidah is paralyzed and the port of Ras Isa is on fire and the message is clear: Whoever harms Israel will be struck much much more,” he added.
The military released footage showing IAF fighter jets flying “over the Middle East.” Another clip published by the IDF showed aerial refueling amid the strikes, which were carried out nearly 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) from Israel.
IAF fighter jets fly over the Middle East and refuel during strikes on the Houthis in Yemen, January 10, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
The military also released footage of IAF F-16I fighter jets taking off from southern Israel’s Ramon Airbase en route to Yemen.
Israeli Air Force F-16I fighter jets take off from southern Israel’s Ramon Airbase en route to strike Houthi targets in Yemen, January 10, 2025. (IDF)
The Houthi-owned Al-Masirah television station had reported 12 strikes by US and British forces in the Harf Sufyan District, north of Sanaa, as well as six airstrikes on the Hodeidah port and several on the capital itself.
According to Al-Masirah, the strikes on Sanaa hit an area close to Al Sabeen Square during a weekly protest there in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, the Houthis also took responsibility for an attempted drone attack on Israel late Thursday.
The Yemeni rebels said it fired three drones at the Tel Aviv area, “and they were able to reach their targets successfully.”
According to the IDF, the drones were successfully intercepted by the Israeli Air Force, with no damage or injuries being caused.
The attempted drone strike, which triggered sirens in the southern community of Gvulot, came hours after the IDF released a tally of over 350 drones and ballistic missiles that the Houthis have fired at Israel since October 7, 2023 — when fellow Iran-backed group Hamas stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages, sparking the war in Gaza.
The Houthis began attacking Israel soon afterward, and have also upended global trade with repeated attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea — some with no apparent link to Israel.
The IDF has struck Houthi targets several times since July, when a Houthi drone killed one person and harmed several others in Tel Aviv.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
