SANAA, Yemen

The Yemeni Houthi group on Saturday vowed to respond to Israeli airstrikes on western Yemen.

The Israeli attack on Al Hudaydah “aims to exacerbate the suffering of the people and pressure Yemen to stop supporting Gaza,” Mohammed Abulsalam, the Houthi spokesman, said in a post on X.

“We affirm that this brutal aggression will only increase the determination and steadfastness of the Yemeni people and their brave armed forces, continuing and escalating their support for Gaza,” added the spokesman.

Mohammed al-Houthi, a member of the Political Council of the group, threatened operations that would “plague" Israel in response to the attacks on Al Hudaydah.

Earlier in the day, the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah channel reported casualties from Israeli airstrikes on the Al Hudaydah port.

The strikes targeted oil storage facilities at the Al Hudaydah port, as well as the power station in the governorate.

The Israeli military, in an official statement, confirmed attacking targets in Al Hudaydah in Yemen, claiming they are linked to the Houthi group.

This is the first direct Israeli response to recent Houthi attacks.

The Israeli airstrikes came after a drone attack by the Houthi group on Tel Aviv early Friday morning, which resulted in the death of one Israeli and injuries to nine others.

The Houthis have been targeting ships that are Israeli-owned, flagged, operated, or headed to Israeli ports in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden with missiles and drones in solidarity with Gaza, which has been under a devastating Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7 last year.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala