JERUSALEM: Israel struck Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, including a power station and ports, in response to missile and drone launches, and warned it would hunt down the group’s leaders.

Israel’s latest strikes came after the military intercepted two drones believed to have been launched from Yemen the previous day.

Israel’s military said the strikes were carried out in retaliation for Houthi missile and drone launches.

The statement said the targets included “military infrastructure sites in the Hizaz power station, which serves as a central source of energy” for the Houthis.

It said it also struck military infrastructure in the ports of Hodeida and Ras Issa.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement after the strikes, said the Houthis were being punished for their repeated attacks on his country.

“As we promised, the Houthis are paying, and they will continue to pay, a heavy price for their aggression against us,” he said, vowing not to tolerate attacks against Israel.

‘No immunity for anyone’

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Tel Aviv would “hunt down” the Houthi leaders.

“The Hodeida port is paralysed, and the Ras Issa port is on fire … there will be no immunity for anyone,” he said in a video statement.

Yemen’s Al Masirah television station said the power station was struck eight times, wounding one worker and damaging nearby houses.

Yemenis taking part in a weekly protest in Sanaa in support of Palestinians heard the strikes, the channel reported.

It said the port of Hodeida, vital for Yemen’s imports, was struck six times, while the Ras Issa port was struck by “a series of raids”.

A Hamas spokesperson condemned “in the strongest terms” Israel’s latest strikes on Yemen.

The Iran-backed Yemeni fighters have also targeted ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, prompting retaliatory strikes by the United States and, on occasion, Britain.

Before Friday’s raids, Israel had struck Houthi targets in Yemen several times, including in the capital.

Since the Gaza crisis unfolded in Oct 2023, the Houthis have launched about 40 surface-to-surface missiles toward Israel.

The Israeli military has also reported the launch of about 320 drones.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2025