Jerusalem (EFE).- Israel Defense Forces attacked the Yemeni port of Hodeidah on Monday in response to a Houthi-launched rocket that landed at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport the previous day, Israeli officials said.
It is the first time that Israel has attacked Yemen since its return to the offensive in Gaza on Mar. 18, a period during which the Houthis have fired several rockets into Israeli territory, all intercepted by Israel except for Sunday’s, which caused six injuries.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that Israel would respond to the Houthi attack “at a time and place of its choosing” and would also “respond to their Iranian terrorist masters.”
In response, Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Monday denying all accusations of being behind the Houthi actions, calling them “baseless” and “misleading” and warning of the consequences of any aggression against it.
Following the downing of the missile at Ben Gurion, the Houthi rebels claimed that they would impose a “global air blockade” on Israel by attacking its airports and called on international airlines to cancel flights to the country “to guarantee the safety of their planes and their customers.”
Before the Houthis’ statements, several airlines announced the cancellation of their flights to Israel for 48 hours. EFE
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