Israel claims to intercept drone from Yemen after strikes on Al Hudaydah port

By Abdel Raouf Arnaout and Tarek Chouiref

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL (AA) – The Israeli military claimed on Monday to have intercepted a drone fired from Yemen, shortly after Tel Aviv carried out airstrikes on Houthi targets in Al Hudaydah port.

Army Radio said the drone was downed by the Israeli Air Force. No air-raid sirens were activated by the drone.

While the army has not officially stated the drone’s origin, Channel 13 and other Israeli media reported that preliminary military assessments point to a launch from Yemen.

There was no immediate comment from Yemen’s Houthi group on the Israeli claim.

Early Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that Israeli forces struck Al Hudaydah port. The attack was the 12th wave of Israeli airstrikes on Yemen since October 2023.

The Houthis have intensified missile and drone strikes on Israel since Israeli forces resumed attacks on the Gaza Strip in March after two months of a shaky ceasefire.

Since November 2023, the group has also targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where nearly 59,000 victims have been killed in an Israeli onslaught.