Israeli Air Force Hits Port of Hodeidah With Massive Airstrike

One day after Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport with a ballistic missile, the Israeli Air Force responded with a full-scale strike on the Port of Hodeidah, causing as-yet-unknown damage.

On Sunday, the single Houthi ballistic missile made it past Israel's advanced air defense system and landed near a road on the perimeter of Ben Gurion International Airport. It was far from the first time that the group had attempted a strike on this area, but it was the rare munition to make it through to impact. The road was damaged, and eight people sustained slight injuries.

In response, the IAF launched about 20-30 fighter jets to strike 9-12 targets in the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah, dropping about 50 bombs. Additional targets reportedly included the local cement plant, used by the Houthis for materials to construct bunkers and fortifications. Images of the nighttime raid on Yemeni social media showed multiple explosions, but a full damage assessment is not yet available.

Additional documentation from tonight’s strikes by the Israeli Air Force against Houthi-controlled Western Yemen, with a large fire seen burning at the Bajil Cement Factory in the Hodeidah Governorate. pic.twitter.com/QYbNKtio9L

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 5, 2025

U.S. forces assisted the effort, an American official confirmed to Axios. Another U.S. official denied any American involvement in conversation with Al Jazeera.

Israel has conducted long-range airstrikes on Houthi targets multiple times over the past year, including heavy strikes on the main commercial seaport. Since March 15, U.S. Navy and Air Force assets have been hitting Houthi positions "around the clock," according to U.S. Central Command. Targets include military infrastructure, factories, staging areas and individual leaders. Last week, U.S. Central Command hit the Houthi-controlled fuel port of Ras Isa, causing an estimated 70-80 fatalities and about 170 injuries. Three Russian seafarers on a foreign-flag tanker were among the injured.