Sanaa (South24)

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Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said today, Sunday, that the Iranian-backed Yemeni group will continue to fight Israel, even if the war in the Palestinian Gaza Strip stops.

“Starting a battle with us is not an easy matter,” Abdulsalam told Al Jazeera TV in an interview. “We will not abide by any rules of engagement with the Israeli enemy and we are prepared for all consequences and possibilities.” 

Abdulsalam threatened an "all-out battle" after the Israeli attack on the port of Hodeidah yesterday, which led to a massive fire in fuel tanks and the power station, according to reports by Houthi media.

In a video speech today, top Houthi leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi announced that Friday’s drone attack on Tel Aviv marked the inauguration of the fifth phase of military escalation.

Al-Houthi said: "The attack in occupied Jaffa (Tel Aviv) is the launch of the fifth phase of our operations. We have used a new weapon, the Jaffa drone, which created a new equation and phase."

Al-Houthi claimed the Israeli raids on the port of Hodeidah did not have a significant impact, despite the port being severely damaged and left out of operation, according to an informed source from South24 Center.

Related: Israel strikes Houthi-held port of Hodeidah causing major fire 

On Saturday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the attack on the port of Hodeidah was part of a response to the killing of an Israeli and the injury of others in a Houthi drone attack that hit a building in Tel Aviv.

“Everyone across the Middle East is now seeing the fire of Hodeidah,” Gallant said. “We will hit the Houthis everywhere if necessary.”

Early Sunday, Israel announced the failure of the Houthis' first military response to the attack on the port of Hodeidah. The Israeli military said it had intercepted a surface-to-surface ballistic missile launched from Yemen by the Houthis before it reached the city of Eilat on the Red Sea.

However, the Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, claimed that a military operation using ballistic missiles had successfully achieved its goals in Eilat. He also announced that several ballistic missiles and drones had targeted the American ship Pumba in the Red Sea.

On Saturday, US Central Command reported it had destroyed a Houthi drone in the Red Sea.

Commenting on the attack in Hodeidah, an official from the internationally recognized Yemeni government told Saba Agency they strongly condemn “the aggression against Yemeni territory and the violation of sovereignty.”

"We renew our warning to the terrorist Houthi militia against engaging Yemen and its people in senseless battles to serve the interests of the Iranian regime and its expansionist project in the region," the statement added.

In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Defense declared Riyadh “has no relationship or participation in the attack on Hodeidah.” The statement added: "We will not allow any violation of our airspace from any party."

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry called for calm and control in a statement, expressing concern about the Israeli raids in Hodeidah.

"We warn of the dangers of expanding the conflict in the region following developments in the Gaza Strip crisis. We call for intensifying efforts to maintain the security and stability of the region,” the statement said. 

UN Secretary-General Antonio also expressed concern about the Israeli raids in Hodeidah, saying, “We are concerned about the risk of escalation of the situation in the region and urge the need for restraint.”

Iran, Syria, Lebanese Hezbollah, and Hamas condemned the Israeli attack and declared their solidarity with the Houthis.

The port of Hodeidah, located in Hodeidah Governorate on the Red Sea, is believed to be a strategic site used by the Houthis to transfer Iranian weapons and technology, in addition to providing economic benefits.

The Yemeni government has previously officially accused the Houthis of using the port to smuggle Iranian weapons, a claim echoed by the Israeli army following the latest attack.

In 2018, the Southern Giants brigades, supported by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, nearly captured the port of Hodeidah after inflicting severe defeats on the Houthis. However, international pressure led to the Stockholm Agreement, which halted the offensive.

Yemeni officials argue that the agreement, concluded in December 2018, saved the Houthis from a strategic defeat and handed them control of the port of Hodeidah.