Israel carried out extensive strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen overnight between Sunday and Monday, shortly after it issued evacuation orders for several areas of the country, EDnews reports, citing The Times of Israel.
The IDF confirmed early Monday morning that its airstrikes had targeted multiple Houthi terror targets in Yemen, including the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Salif, and the Ras Khatib power station.
The airstrikes also hit the “Galaxy Leader” vessel, which was hijacked by the Houthis in November 2023 and used for maritime surveillance and operational planning, the IDF said.
The Houthis took the ship and its crew of 25 people — who hailed from from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico — captive in November 2023, only freeing them in January 2025 after more than a year of holding them hostage.
The IDF said that the Houthis “installed a radar system on the ship, and are using it to track vessels in international maritime space, in order to promote the Houthi terrorist regime’s activities.”
According to the military, all the targets hit in the overnight strikes were used by the Iran-backed Houthi regime to transfer weapons and conduct terror activity against Israel and global shipping.
The military said later Monday morning that around 20 fighter jets took part in the operation, dropping more than 50 munitions on the targets. The IDF said the strikes come in response to repeated Houthi missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory and highlight the group’s ongoing use of civilian infrastructure for military purposes.