“Whoever attacks us, we will attack him,” declared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, articulating his country’s ironclad policy of retaliation following major airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The strikes were executed after the Houthis launched a ballistic missile, reportedly with a cluster bomb warhead, at Israel.
The Israeli operation precisely targeted what it described as Houthi nerve centers in the capital, Sanaa. A military compound that includes the presidential palace, a major fuel depot, and power stations were all hit, causing substantial damage and widespread disruption in the rebel-held city.
Netanyahu’s forceful rhetoric was echoed by his Defence Minister, Israel Katz, who asserted that the Houthi presidential palace was destroyed and vowed that the rebels would “pay many times over” for every missile fired at Israel. He also confirmed an ongoing air and naval blockade designed to choke off Houthi military capabilities.
In Sanaa, the human toll was immediate. The Houthi administration reported six deaths and 86 injuries as a result of the raid. The powerful explosions sent shockwaves through the city, demonstrating in stark terms the “heavy price” that Netanyahu had warned the Houthis would pay for their continued hostilities.