Israeli Strike Causes $20 Million Damage At Yemen’s Hodeidah Port

An Israeli airstrike on Yemen’s Hodeida port, controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, caused at least $20 million in damage, according to port officials.

The strike carried out on July 20, 2024, was in response to a Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv that killed an Israeli man.

The Israeli strike targeted the port’s fuel storage facilities, energy infrastructure, and container cranes, causing widespread destruction.

The strike, which involved hundreds of Israeli aircraft, destroyed two enormous cranes, damaged the docks, and sparked a tremendous fire that lasted for days. In addition, a small vessel and many structures were on fire.

According to Nasr al-Nusairi, vice president of the Yemen Red Sea Ports Corporation, the preliminary damage assessment estimates a cost of more than $20 million.

The estimated amount, however, excludes losses from the destruction of fuel storage facilities, which are under the jurisdiction of the oil ministry.

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Despite extensive damage and a temporary halt in operations, the port resumed operations shortly.

The first two container ships arrived in Hodeida just three days after the strike, and the port was functioning on Sunday, with workers unloading containers.

Israel’s strike on Hodeida is the first time it targeted a Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in support of Palestinians during the ongoing Gaza conflict.

The Israeli Defense Forces claimed that the attack was a critical blow to the Houthi economy and an attempt to disrupt the import of Iranian weapons.

The United States and Britain have previously launched retaliatory strikes on the Houthis, but Israel’s action marks an entirely new level of direct intervention.

Reference: Times of Israel, France24