Israeli attack on Yemen targets entire Middle East, military commander says

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – An Israeli attack on Yemen last weekend was directed at the entire Middle East, including Hezbollah and Iran, Israeli Air Force Commander Tomer Bar said on Thursday.

“There will be a knockout punch as lethal as possible against an enemy we are familiar with, and there will be surprises,” Bar said during a discussion with the heads of the local authorities at the Ramat David Airbase in northern Israel.

“We are ready for war. There is full responsibility on the Israeli Air Force to implement all the operational plans,” he added.

On Friday, the Yemeni Houthi group claimed responsibility for a drone attack targeting Tel Aviv, which resulted in the death of an Israeli and the injury of 10 others.

In response to the attack, Israeli fighter jets launched airstrikes on Saturday targeting the port of Al Hudaydah in western Yemen.

According to the Houthi group, which controls the province, the Israeli strikes killed nine people and injured 83 others.

“Who was the target of the strike against the Houthis? It was aimed at the entire Middle East, both at (Hezbollah chief Hassan) Nasrallah and Iran,” Bar said.

The Houthis have been targeting ships that are Israeli-owned, flagged, operated, or headed to Israeli ports in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden with missiles and drones in solidarity with Gaza, where nearly 39,200 people have been killed in a devastating Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7 last year.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala