Israel turns up heat on Houthis in Yemen after crippling Hezbollah, 4 dead

At least four people were killed after Israel launched attacks against Houthi targets in Yemen on Sunday, with the Jewish nation’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant declaring that “no place is too far” for their forces.
Dozens of aircraft, including fighter jets, power plants and a seaport at the Ras Issa and Hodeidah ports in Yemen were targeted in the airstrikes, according to a statement by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).
“The IDF attacked power plants and a port, which are used to import oil. Through the targeted infrastructure and ports, the Houthi regime transfers Iranian weapons to the region, and supplies for military purposes, including oil,” the IDF said in a statement.

According to the Houthi-run health ministry, four people were killed and 29 wounded in the Israeli strikes.
Israeli forces have launched aggressive aerial assaults on the Iran-backed militias in the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthis in Yemen.
After the airstrikes in Yemen, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant tweeted, “The message is clear, for us, no place is too far.”

A man runs as people run to gather their belongings during an air raid siren after which Israel’s military said a missile was fired from Yemen and intercepted, at a beach in Tel Aviv. (Photo: Reuters)

The Israeli strikes on Houthis came after the Yemen-based military group fired missiles and drones at Israel over the past two days in what they say is “solidarity with Palestinians”.
The Houthis escalated attacks on Israel after the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah, which has vowed revenge against Israel over the killing of their leader, launched a counterattack by firing rockets at northern Israel. Israel confirmed that 35 rockets were launched from Lebanese territory, 25 of which struck open areas near Haifa Bay. No one was injured, the IDF said.

A man holds a picture of Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah who was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, during a symbolic funeral in Basra. (Photo: Reuters)

Lebanon, meanwhile, is seeking diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire with Israel.
“It is certain that the Lebanese government wants a ceasefire, and everyone knows that (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu went to New York based on the premise of a ceasefire, but the decision was made to assassinate Nasrallah,” said Lebanon’s Information Minister Ziad Makary said during a cabinet session on Sunday.
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati also said in a televised speech that his country had “no option but the diplomatic option” to end Israel’s aggression.
Israel’s actions in Lebanon have intensified in the last two weeks, with Beirut confirming more than 1,000 deaths in the strikes. Lakhs of people fled their homes in southern Lebanon and crossed into Syria to avoid Israeli airstrikes.
The US has also backed a ceasefire deal even as Israel rejected the plan and ordered strikes to kill Nasrallah.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told CNN, “An all-out war with Hezbollah, certainly with Iran, is not the way to do that. If you want to get those folks back home safely and sustainably, we believe that a diplomatic path is the right course.”