Hodeidah (South24) 

---

Today, Israeli jets struck the Red Sea port of Hodeidah in Yemen, causing a major fire in the port.

Houthi-affiliate Al-Masirah TV said that several Israeli air raids targeted oil refining facilities in the Houthi-held port of Hodeidah.

Al-Masirah TV also reported deaths and injuries from the raids. 

The Houthis' official spokesman, Mohammed Abdul Salam, posted on X: “Israeli aggression targeted oil tanks and the electricity station in Hodeidah.”

He added: "This attack will not halt the escalation of our forces to support Gaza. We are capable of confrontation."

Deputy Chairman of the Houthi Media Authority, Nasr al-Din Amer, said on ’X‘: “The fire and smoke resulted from targeting fuel tanks in the port of Hodeidah and also fuel tanks in the Hodeidah power station."

Pictures and videos posted by local activists showed massive fires break out as a result of the attacks.

The Israeli army has officially claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Israeli army released a statement saying that the port of Hodeidah that the Israeli Air Force attacked was used by the Houthis to receive weapon transfers from Iran. The Israeli army said that the US was informed ahead of the strike.

The Israeli army statement added that the strike will hurt Houthi revenues.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hodeidah port is not an “innocent” port, and is used for military purposes.

The head of the Arab media division of the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, said: “The Israel Defense Army warplanes recently launched raids striking targets of the terrorist Houthi regime in the Hodeidah port area in Yemen.

"The raids came in response to hundreds of attacks against the State of Israel over recent months. There is no change in the instructions of the home front, and if any change occurs, we will announce it," he added.

The attack came a day after a Houthi drone attack in Tel Aviv killed one person and wounded eight others.

Related: Houthis kill and injure Israelis for first time 

Meanwhile, the Supreme Political Council of the Houthis on Saturday said there would be an "effective response" to Israeli airstrikes on Hodeidah port.

The Houthi military spokesman said that Israel had attacked electricity and oil facilities which are "civilian targets”, and warned that "Yemeni forces will respond accordingly”.

"We will not stop”, Yahya Saree said, adding that the attacks will include "civilian targets and enemy facilities. We declare that the Jaffa area (Tel Aviv city area) will not be safe."

The US and UK forces have launched dozens of raids on Hodeidah and Sanaa to target sites linked to the Houthis during the past months.

The Houthis continue their attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. They recently announced attacks in the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.