JERUSALEM: Israel said on Sunday it targeted an energy infrastructure site in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, linked to the Houthi rebels behind repeated attacks on Israel during the Gaza conflict.

A military statement said Israeli forces “struck... deep inside Yemen, targeting an energy infrastructure site that served the Houthi regime” in the area of the rebel-held capital, without naming the site.

The Houthis’ Al-Masirah TV, citing a civil defence source, reported “an aggression targeting the Haziz power station” south of the city. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

A photographer reported significant damage at the site. An employee of the power station said that “two aggressive strikes by the Israeli enemy” hit the site in the early morning, but there were no casualties.

The Houthis have repeatedly fired missiles and drones at Israel, claiming to be acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.

Most Houthi attacks have been intercepted, but have prompted Israeli air strikes on rebel targets in Yemen.

The military said its latest “strikes were conducted in response to repeated attacks” by the Houthis.

On Sunday afternoon, the Israeli military said it intercepted another missile fired from Yemen, after sirens went off in several regions. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree later claimed the attack for the group, saying they had targeted Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport with a ballistic missile.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X that the Houthis would “pay with compound interest for every attempt to fire at Israel” and that Israel was “imposing an air and sea blockade” on the group. In June, Katz threatened a blockade, without any notable follow up.

Beyond attacks on Israel, the Houthis have also targeted ships they say are Israeli-linked in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden off Yemen.

The Iran-backed group broadened its campaign to target ships tied to the United States and Britain after the two countries began military strikes aimed at securing the waterway in January 2024.

In May, the rebels cemented a ceasefire with the United States that ended weeks of intense US strikes, but vowed to continue targeting Israeli ships.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2025