IDF confirms targets include ‘Galaxy Leader’ ship, hijacked by Houthis in November 2023; two missiles fired by Iran-backed group at Israel after airstrikes
Israel carried out extensive strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen overnight between Sunday and Monday, shortly after it issued evacuation orders for several areas of the country. Hours later, the Houthis launched two ballistic missiles at Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed early Monday morning that its airstrikes carried out by some 20 fighter jets had targeted multiple Houthi targets in Yemen, including the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Salif, and the Ras Khatib power station.
The airstrikes also hit the “Galaxy Leader” vessel, which was hijacked by the Houthis in November 2023 and used for maritime surveillance and operational planning, the IDF said.
The Houthis took the ship and its crew of 25 people — who hailed from from the Philippines, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Mexico — captive in November 2023, only freeing them in January 2025 after more than a year of holding them hostage.
The IDF said that the Houthis “installed a radar system on the ship, and are using it to track vessels in international maritime space, in order to promote the Houthi terrorist regime’s activities.”
More than 50 munitions were dropped by the Israeli Air Force fighter jets on the Houthi targets, according to the military.
The IDF said the strikes came in response to repeated Houthi missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory and highlighted the group’s ongoing use of civilian infrastructure for military purposes.
There were no reports of impacts or injuries.
Last Tuesday, the Houthis fired a missile at Israel which set off sirens in most of Jerusalem as well as at Ben Gurion Airport, Modiin, Rishon Lezion and some West Bank settlements. The missile was intercepted and no injuries or damage was reported.
In a statement early Monday morning, Defense Minister Israel Katz repeated the threat he made following that missile attack, that “Yemen will be treated like Tehran,” referencing the intensive Israeli strikes across Iran during the recent 12-day conflict.
“Anyone who tries to harm Israel will be harmed, anyone who raises a hands against Israel will have it cut off,” Katz added, saying that the IDF was “forcefully” striking a number of terror targets in Yemen. “The Houthis will continue to pay a heavy price for their actions.”
The strikes came about half an hour after the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman issued an “urgent” evacuation warning for the three Houthi-controlled ports and the power plant in Yemen.
Residents told Reuters that the Israeli strikes on the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah put the main power station out of service, leaving the city in darkness. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported that Israel launched a series of strikes on Hodeidah. The campaign came hours after a ship was attacked off the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah and the ship’s crew abandoned it as it took on water.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but security firm Ambrey said the vessel fits the typical profile of a Houthi target.
The Houthis began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas massacre.
The Houthis held their fire when a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas in January 2025. By that point, they had fired over 40 ballistic missiles and dozens of attack drones and cruise missiles at Israel, including one that killed a civilian and wounded several others in Tel Aviv in July, prompting Israel’s first strike in Yemen.
Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have launched 56 ballistic missiles and at least 13 drones at Israel. Several of the missiles have fallen short.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth gives a thumbs up as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Win McNamee/Pool Photo via AP)