Israel planning offensive against Yemen, report says
The Israeli army is planning to strike Yemen in response to recent Houthi missile and drone attacks, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation Kan reported on Monday.
The Houthi movement, known officially as Ansar Allah, claimed to have struck a "military target" near Tel Aviv on Monday with a hypersonic ballistic missile.
The group's military spokesman Yahya Saree declared in a televised address that the operation was a success, though Israeli media reported intercepting the missile before it entered its airspace.
The Houthis have been launching attacks against Israel since the outbreak of the war in Gaza last year. They say the attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians.
The Yemeni group has also targeted shipping lanes in the Red Sea, describing these operations as part of their efforts to pressure Israel into halting the war on Gaza.
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Kan reported that the Israeli army recognised the escalating attacks from Yemen, claiming that it is "being orchestrated by Iran".
"They are trying to promote significant damage to Israeli assets such as the seaports of Ashdod and Haifa, the power plants of the Israel Electric Corporation, and the gas rigs off the coast of Israel," the broadcaster reported.
"The IDF (Israeli army) and the Air Force claim that it is necessary to act against the threat from Yemen, and this requires diverting intelligence attention and preparing operational arrays for this purpose," it added.
Kan news has also indicated that such attacks from the Houthis were the group's attempt at seizing "the lead in what remains of Iran's evil axis in the region".
"Iran is activating the Houthis, among other things, due to the availability of their capabilities," the report said.
The Houthi attacks against Israeli targets began on 19 October. 2023 and a month later they seized the Galaxy Leader carrier in the Red Sea off the coast of Hodeidah.
Galaxy Leader is owned by Tel Aviv-based Ray Shipping, and is registered in the UK's Isle of Man, according to Lloyd's List. Twenty five of the vessel's crew members have been detained on board since then.
Israel called the capture of the Israel-owned ship an "act of terrorism", while the United States and nine of its allies launched a naval task force to tackle Houthi attacks on western and Israeli-linked shipping last October.
The Houthis have continued their Red Sea attacks despite a campaign of air strikes by the US-led military coalition since January to repel them.
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