On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, the long-simmering conflict between Israel and Yemen’s Houthi rebels erupted into a new and dangerous phase, as Israeli fighter jets launched airstrikes on the port city of Hodeidah in western Yemen. The strikes, which targeted what Israel described as Houthi military infrastructure, marked a significant escalation in a confrontation that has increasingly spilled over national borders and drawn in international actors.
According to multiple reports, including coverage from AFP and Al-Masirah TV, the airstrikes ignited large fires at three docks in Hodeidah port. Witnesses described a frantic scene as workers fled the area following warnings from the Israeli military. One truck driver told AFP, “Other civilians working there also left,” highlighting the panic and uncertainty that gripped the port as the bombs began to fall.
The Israeli military stated that the operation was aimed at disrupting the transfer of Iranian weapons to the Houthis, a group it designates as a terrorist organization. The port, Israel claimed, had become a key node for the shipment of arms from Tehran, which the Houthis have used to launch attacks against Israel and its allies. Defense Minister Israel Katz was unequivocal in his warning: “The terrorist Houthi organization will continue to suffer setbacks and pay the heavy price for any attempt to attack the State of Israel,” he wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Al-Masirah TV, which is run by the Houthis, reported that at least 12 airstrikes hit the port, but did not immediately report any casualties. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said their air defenses were activated during the Israeli attacks, describing the strikes as “aggression against our country.”
Retaliation from the Houthis was swift. Just hours after the Israeli airstrikes, the group launched a ballistic missile toward central Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and sent drones toward Ramon Airport in the country’s south. Air raid sirens blared across the region, but according to Israeli military officials, the missile was intercepted and no casualties were reported. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks, with Saree stating that a ballistic missile targeted the Jaffa region near Tel Aviv and that drones were sent toward Ramon Airport, as reported by Reuters and Al-Masirah.
This latest exchange is part of a broader pattern of hostilities that has intensified since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. The Houthis, who control large swathes of northern Yemen, have repeatedly launched drone and missile attacks against Israel, citing solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. In response, Israel has conducted a series of retaliatory strikes on Yemeni infrastructure, including ports, power stations, and the international airport in Sanaa.
The violence has taken a heavy toll on the Houthi leadership. On August 28, 2025, Israeli raids in Sanaa killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmad Ghaleb al-Rahwi and nearly half of his cabinet, according to Houthi sources. Then, on September 10, Israeli air strikes targeted Houthi military sites in Sanaa and Jawf province, resulting in 46 deaths and over 160 wounded, as reported by the group to AFP. These high-profile assassinations and mass casualties have severely weakened the Houthis’ command structure and further inflamed tensions in the region.
Israel’s rationale for the strikes has consistently centered on the need to maintain a naval and air blockade against the Houthis and to disrupt Iranian arms shipments. “The terrorist Houthi organization will continue to suffer blows and pay painful prices for any attempt to attack the State of Israel,” Defense Minister Katz reiterated. The Israeli military also emphasized that warnings were issued to civilians before the strikes, a claim supported by witness accounts from Hodeidah port.
Yet the conflict’s reverberations are not limited to military targets. Humanitarian operations in Yemen have been severely affected. The United Nations recently relocated its humanitarian coordinator from Houthi-controlled Sanaa to the southern city of Aden, citing security concerns. The Yemeni Foreign Ministry has called on all UN agencies to follow suit. The UN confirmed the move, stating that the coordinator “will continue to carry out his mandate across the country.”
The Houthis have also detained at least 11 UN staff members since August, and the World Food Programme has reported that 44 humanitarian workers, including 21 WFP employees, are being held arbitrarily by the group. The WFP has called for their immediate release, warning that such actions jeopardize critical aid operations in a country already facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The strikes on Hodeidah and the subsequent missile and drone attacks on Israel come against the backdrop of a much larger regional conflict. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have also been engaged in major operations elsewhere, including a new ground offensive in Gaza City described as “horrific” by Canadian officials, and large-scale attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025. The latter strikes killed senior Iranian military and IRGC officials, while Iranian retaliatory attacks left 28 Israelis dead and over 1,300 wounded, according to Jerusalem Post and Reuters.
Meanwhile, international diplomatic efforts to ease tensions have faltered. The European Union is set to adopt new sanctions against Israel, targeting trade agreements, as the conflict in Gaza and the wider region shows no sign of abating. Protests have erupted across the Middle East, with Houthi supporters in Sanaa demonstrating in support of Palestinians in Gaza. In Israel, families of hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7, 2024 attack continue to press the government for action, some even appealing directly to former US President Trump for intervention.
Since the escalation began, the Houthis have positioned themselves as defenders of the Palestinian cause, using their military capabilities to strike at Israel despite the risks of severe retaliation. Israel, for its part, has framed its actions as necessary self-defense against Iranian-backed threats and as part of a broader campaign to prevent the transfer of advanced weaponry to its enemies.
As the dust settles over Hodeidah, the region remains on edge. The cycle of attack and counterattack shows little sign of slowing, and the humanitarian fallout continues to mount. With international actors struggling to mediate a resolution and both sides vowing further action, the latest strikes underscore just how volatile and interconnected the conflicts of the Middle East have become.
For the people of Yemen and Israel, as well as the countless civilians caught in the crossfire, the prospect of peace feels as distant as ever.