The Israeli Air Force struck Houthi targets at the port of Hudaydah in Yemen on Monday morning, as part of an operation dubbed "Long Braid." The strikes targeted engineering equipment used to restore the port's infrastructure, fuel tanks, and vessels employed in military activity and operations against Israel and ships in the maritime area near the port. Additional terrorist infrastructure used by the Houthis was also hit. The attack was carried out using remotely operated unmanned aerial vehicles.
Israeli officials noted that even smaller-scale strikes can be effective, as they help maintain the naval blockade on the Houthis. "We're hitting components they're trying to rebuild and engineering tools, which makes it harder for them," they said. "This is a long campaign, not every strike needs to involve 30 aircraft. It's about using the right approach."
The renewed military action follows an incident Friday, when sirens sounded across Israel after a missile fired from Yemen was intercepted.
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated: "The IDF has just struck terrorist targets of the Houthi terror regime at Hudaydah Port, forcefully countering any attempt to restore previously destroyed terrorist infrastructure. As I've made clear – Yemen is no different from Tehran. The Houthis will pay a heavy price for launching missiles toward the State of Israel. We will continue to act anytime and anywhere to protect Israel."
The last Israeli offensive against Houthi targets in Yemen took place roughly two weeks ago as part of Operation "Black Flag." That campaign targeted three key ports: Hudaydah, As-Salif, and Ras Issa.
