Israel strikes the Yemeni port of Hodeida as Houthi rebels activate air
defenses
[September 17, 2025]
By AHMED AL-HAJ and FATMA KHALED
ADEN, Yemen (AP) — Israel on Tuesday launched airstrikes on the Yemeni
city of Hodeida as Iranian-backed Houthi rebels activated air defenses.
The Israeli military said in an update that it struck “military
infrastructure” used by the Houthis at Hodeida port.
“The Hudaydah Port is used by the Houthi terrorist regime for the
transfer of weapons supplied by the Iranian regime, in order to execute
attacks against the State of Israel and its allies,” the statement read.
“Our air defenses are currently confronting the Israeli aircrafts that
are launching an aggression against our country,” Houthi spokesperson
Yayha Saree posted on X.
Saree said in a statement that the Houthi air defenses “caused great
confusion” for Israeli aircraft and forced some combat formations to
leave Yemeni airspace before carrying out the attacks, thwarting
Israel’s incursion deep into Yemen.
Earlier Israeli strikes targeted Sanaa
The latest strikes came as hundreds attended funeral services for 31
Yemeni journalists who were reported killed in Israeli airstrikes last
week that targeted Houthis in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.
The strikes last Wednesday followed a drone launched by the Houthis that
breached Israel’s multilayered air defenses and slammed into a southern
Israeli airport, blowing out glass windows and injuring one person.
In Yemen, dozens were reported killed, including the journalists, in the
strikes that hit Sanaa, including residential areas, a military
headquarters and a fuel station, according to the health ministry in the
rebel-held northern part of the country.
The National Museum of Yemen in Sanaa was also damaged, according to the
rebels’ culture ministry, with footage from the site showings damage to
the building’s façade. A government facility in the city of Hazm, the
capital of northern Jawf province, was also hit.
The Israeli army said last week that it struck sites used by the Houthis
to gather intelligence and attack Israel, a fuel storage facility, and a
“public relations department responsible for distributing propaganda
messages in the media.”
Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV broadcast the funerals Tuesday, showing dozens
inside a mosque and the caskets being carried ahead of the burial. An
honor guard stood beside the coffins.
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A Houthi officer mourns over a coffin of one of 31 local journalists
reportedly killed in Israeli airstrikes last week, during their
funeral inside the Shaab Mosque in Sanaa, Yemen, Tuesday, Sept. 16,
2025. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)
The turnout was lower than expected for such a a “huge loss,” according
to Khaled Rageh and Ahmed Malhy, who attended the funerals, likely
because heavy morning rain kept some away. The two men spoke to The
Associated Press by phone.
Threats to journalists working in Yemen
Israel has previously launched waves of airstrikes in response to the
Houthis’ firing missiles and drones at Israel. The Houthis say they are
attacking in solidarity with Palestinians amid the war in the Gaza
Strip. The Houthis have also targeted ships in the Red Sea for over 22
months.
The Committee to Protect Journalists told The Associated Press on Monday
that the organization is still actively looking into the reported deaths
of Yemeni journalists but was having difficulties in verifying facts on
the ground in rebel-held Sanaa.
“The information environment is highly restricted — Houthi authorities
have imposed strict censorship, including a ban on sharing photos or
videos related to the airstrikes," the CPJ said.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch in a Monday post said Israeli
airstrikes in Sanaa also hit a media center housing the headquarters of
two newspapers, describing it as another example of the dangers facing
journalists in Yemen.
“The recent Israeli forces’ attack further highlights the threats
journalists are facing in Yemen, not just by domestic authorities but
also by external warring parties,” said HRW.
Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen analyst, said on X that the strikes hit as
staffers at the “September 26” newspaper gathered to prepare the paper's
next edition.
———
Khaled reported from Cairo.
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