Sanaa, Dec 24 (IANS) Yemen’s Houthi group said it attacked Israel with two drones, targeting military sites.
In a statement aired on Monday by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the first attack targeted a military target in the Ashkelon area, and the other hit a military target in Tel Aviv.
He claimed that these attacks had achieved “the goals” but did not specify the alleged targets or provide evidence to support his claim.
“These operations will not stop until the Israeli aggression on Gaza stops and the siege is lifted,” he added.
Following the Houthi drone attack, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a warning, saying, “We will strike the Houthis hard, target their strategic infrastructure, and decapitate their leaders.”
The Israeli military said the attack was intercepted by its air defence systems, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Houthi attacks followed Hamas’ announcement on Saturday that a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip is “closer than ever” if Israel stops setting new conditions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said on Monday that “there has been progress” in efforts to secure a ceasefire-for-hostages deal with Hamas, but cautioned that the timeline for reaching an agreement remains unclear.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have been carrying out rocket and drone attacks on Israeli cities and disrupting “Israeli-linked” shipping in the Red Sea to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas conflict there.
The Houthi group has been controlling much of northern Yemen since late 2014, forcing the internationally recognised Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa.
–IANS
int/rs
