The Houthis announced the launch of the fifth phase of escalation following airstrikes carried out by the Israeli army on the port of Hodeidah. Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi stated that targeting "Tel Aviv" marks the beginning of this new phase of escalation, describing it as a new equation. He indicated that the Israeli attack on Yemen will not deter his group from continuing its escalation in support of the Gaza Strip, expressing his satisfaction with what he termed a direct battle with the Israeli army.
The Houthis announced the resumption of operations at the port of Hodeidah after it sustained damage from the Israeli airstrikes. The governor of Hodeidah, appointed by the Houthis, Mohammed Ayash Qahim, confirmed that work at the port resumed at a high pace within 24 hours of the airstrike, which he referred to as "despicable."
For its part, high-ranking Israeli military sources revealed that the army and its intelligence services had prepared for months for the possibility of launching an attack on Houthi sites in Yemen. According to media reports, the bombing of the Hodeidah port targeted objectives from a long-prepared target bank, noting that its air force had trained for this attack in Greece at the beginning of spring. Additionally, the Israeli military headquarters had established a special division named the "Yemen Division" in the operations department eight months ago, after the Houthis began launching missiles and drones towards Israel.
