YEMEN – Israel has initiated “intense” strikes against Houthi terrorist targets in Yemen, Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed early Monday. This action comes shortly after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued evacuation orders for specific areas in Yemen, and as a Greek-owned vessel was abandoned in the Red Sea following a suspected Houthi attack.
“The IDF is currently intensely striking targets of the Houthi’s terror regime in the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and Salif,” Katz stated. He added that the targets also include a power station and the “Galaxy Leader” ship, which the Houthis hijacked and captured two years ago in the Red Sea.
“As I warned, Yemen will be treated like Tehran,” Katz continued, reiterating a threat he made last week. “Anyone who tries to harm Israel will be harmed, anyone who raises a hands against Israel will have it cut off. The Houthis will continue to pay a heavy price for their actions.”
Residents near the targeted areas have reported hearing loud explosions.
IDF Confirms Strikes on Houthi Terror Infrastructure
The IDF later confirmed it carried out airstrikes on multiple Houthi “terror targets” in Yemen, including the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and Salif, and the Ras Khatib power station. The military stated these targets were used by the Iran-backed Houthi regime to transfer weapons and conduct terror activity against Israel and global shipping. The “Galaxy Leader” vessel, hijacked by the Houthis in November 2023 and reportedly used for maritime surveillance and operational planning, was also among the sites hit.
The IDF emphasized that these strikes are a direct response to repeated Houthi missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory, and they highlight the group’s ongoing use of civilian infrastructure for military purposes. The Houthis have continued to fire drones and missiles at Israel even since a ceasefire with Iran went into effect last month.
Crew Abandons Ship in Red Sea After Suspected Houthi Attack
The Israeli strikes follow a serious assault on a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier, the Magic Seas, in the Red Sea on Sunday, July 6, 2025. The crew abandoned the vessel after it was set ablaze and began taking on water, marking the first significant attack in the vital trade corridor after a monthslong lull in Houthi rebel activity there.
Suspicion for the attack immediately fell on the Houthis, particularly after a security firm reported that bomb-carrying drone boats appeared to have hit the ship after it was initially targeted by small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. While Houthi media reported on the attack, the group had not yet claimed responsibility, a process that can often take hours or even days.
Mohammad al-Basha, a Yemen analyst at the Basha Report risk advisory firm, noted the timing of the attack. “It likely serves as a message that the Houthis continue to possess the capability and willingness to strike at strategic maritime targets regardless of diplomatic developments,” he wrote. The attack comes at a sensitive moment in the Middle East, amidst a possible ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and Iran’s consideration of restarting nuclear program negotiations.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center initially reported that an armed security team on the unidentified vessel had returned fire against an initial attack approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Hodeida, Yemen. UKMTO later confirmed the ship was on fire after being “struck by unknown projectiles” and that its crew had abandoned the vessel as it took on water.
Ambrey, a private maritime security firm, issued an alert stating that a merchant ship had been “attacked by eight skiffs while transiting northbound in the Red Sea.” Ambrey later specified that the ship was also attacked by bomb-carrying drone boats, with two striking the vessel and two others destroyed by onboard armed guards – an incident that could signify a major escalation.
Moammar al-Eryani, the information minister for Yemen’s exiled government opposing the Houthis, identified the vessel as the Magic Seas and blamed the rebels. Al-Eryani further asserted on social platform X that “The attack also proves once again that the Houthis are merely a front for an Iranian scheme using Yemen as a platform to undermine regional and global stability, at a time when Tehran continues to arm the militia and provide it with military technology, including missiles, aircraft, drones, and sea mines.” The Magic Seas’ owners did not respond to requests for comment.
Houthi Attacks Tied to Israel-Gaza Conflict
The Houthi rebels have previously launched missile and drone attacks against commercial and military ships in the region, which their leadership has described as an effort to end the Israel-Gaza conflict. Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two and killing four sailors. This campaign significantly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically sees $1 trillion of goods move through it annually.
The Houthis had paused attacks in a self-imposed ceasefire until the U.S. launched a broad assault against the rebels in mid-March. That U.S. campaign concluded weeks later, and while the Houthis had not attacked a vessel since, they have continued occasional missile attacks targeting Israel. On Sunday, the group claimed launching a missile at Israel, which the Israeli military stated it intercepted. Shipping through the Red Sea, though still lower than normal, has seen an increase in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, a wider, decadelong war in Yemen between the Houthis and the country’s exiled government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, remains in a stalemate. The Yemeni Coast Guard, loyal to the exiled government, has also engaged in firefights with vessels in the Red Sea in the past. Somali pirates have also operated in the region, typically seeking to rob or ransom crews, but neither they nor the Yemeni Coast Guard are known to use drone boats in their attacks.
