Flames after Israeli attack on Yemeni port ‘visible throughout the Middle East’

Israeli fighter jets attacked an oil depot in Yemen’s al-Hudaida port on Saturday, sparking a massive fire that authorities said was seen across the Middle East.

The attack on Saturday afternoon came after Houthi rebels launched a drone strike on Israel that killed one civilian and injured eight others.

The footage showed the burning port of Hudaida and long queues in front of gas stations in the Yemeni capital Sana’a.

A Houthi spokesman confirmed that an oil depot and electrical equipment had been hit. Three people were killed and 87 injured in the attacks, reported the Houthi Al Masirah television station.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the shelling was “seen throughout the Middle East and its significance is clear.”

“We will do this wherever it may be necessary. The blood of Israeli citizens has its price,” he said.

“This has been made clear in Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen and elsewhere – if they dare to attack us, the result will be the same.”

According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, at least 13 people were killed in three Israeli air strikes on refugee camps in central Gaza during the night from Saturday to Sunday.

Earlier, a team of doctors delivered the live baby of a Palestinian woman who was killed in an air strike on her home in Nuseirat on Thursday.

This comes as international mediators at talks in Cairo try to push Israel and Hamas toward a gradual ceasefire and hostage release.

The Houthis, who have controlled Hodeidah since the start of Yemen’s civil war in 2015, threatened to respond to the Israeli airstrikes.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau, said: “The Zionist entity will pay the price for the attacks on civilian facilities, and we will respond to escalation with escalation.”

Mr Gallant said the Houthis had attacked Israel “over 200 times” since October, firing drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.

An Israeli defense official told The Telegraph that it was a “purely Israeli attack,” dismissing earlier reports that Britain and the United States were involved in the attack. However, Israel had informed the United States in advance about the attack in Yemen, the official added.

“Israel was able to strike within 24 hours because we had been preparing for it for months,” the official said.

An IDF official said the port serves as a “main supply route for weapons from Iran to Yemen” and the airstrikes targeted “dual-use infrastructure used for terrorist activities by the Houthis, who have carried out hundreds of terrorist attacks.”

The Houthis began attacking ships in the Red Sea in October, saying it was a response to the Israeli attack on Gaza following the October 7 terrorist attacks.

They have vowed to continue their campaign until the war in Gaza is over.

Israel had previously said it had shot down a suspected Houthi drone that was approaching the port of Eilat.

In response to the attacks on ships, British and American fighter jets flew several attacks on Houthi targets. This is the first time that Israel has struck directly.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.