TEL AVIV, May 5. /TASS/. Israeli jets attacked Houthi sites in and around the port of Hodeida, including the Bajel cement plant, the Israel Defense Forces said.
"The Israel Defense Forces attacked Houthi terrorist sites in and around the seaport of Hodeida in Yemen, about 2,000 kilometers from Israeli territory <...> as well as Houthi terrorist infrastructure along the coastal. Also attacked was the Bajel cement factory east of the city of Hodeida, which serves as an important economic resource for the Houthi terrorist regime and is used for the construction of tunnels and military infrastructure," the IDF said in a statement.
"The strikes were carried out in response to repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against Israel, in which ground-to-ground missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles have been launched at Israeli territory and its citizens," the statement said. "The Houthi terrorist regime has been operating under the leadership and with the financial support of Iran for the past year and a half, harming Israel and its allies, undermining regional stability and violating global freedom of navigation."
"The terrorist infrastructure attacked at the Hodeida seaport serves as a major source of revenue for the Houthi regime," the statement went on to say. "The port of Hodeida is used to transfer Iranian weapons and military equipment to meet the needs of the terrorists."
According to the IDF, the damage to the Bajel cement factory "undermines the economy of the Houthi regime and its ability to build up its military power."
"The IDF is determined to continue to act and to launch forceful strikes against anyone who poses a threat to Israel at any distance," the statement said.
Ben Gurion strike
A Houthi missile exploded near Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion international airport on May 4, leaving eight people injured. The IDF said it made multiple attempts to intercept the missile but failed.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the missile strike. According to Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree, a "hypersonic ballistic missile" was used to attack the airport. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged a retaliation.