On 5 May 2025, Israel launched a series of airstrikes against the Houthi movement in Yemen, in response to a Houthi ballistic missile attack on Ben Gurion Airport the day before. Among the targets was Sanaa International Airport, which was bombed and destroyed along with several aircraft by the Israeli Air Force on 6 May. The Israeli Navy joined the campaign later in June.
Background.
After the March 2025 ceasefire ended with Israeli surprise attacks on the Gaza Strip, the Houthis resumed attacking Israel with ballistic missiles. After 26 missiles were intercepted, on May 4, 2025, a ballistic missile hit near Ben Gurion Airport, causing the cancellation of many flights. As a result, Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked Hodeidah Port the following day with dozens of munitions.
Attacks.
5 May.
On 5 May, more than 30 Israeli Air Force aircraft attacked nine Houthi targets using approximately 50 munitions. Among the attack targets was the al-Imran cement factory east of Hodeidah. Reports from Yemen indicated there were dead and wounded at the cement factory. Houthi-linked media reported four people were killed and 42 others were injured. According to an Israeli security source: "We destroyed Hodeidah port and concrete factories that were used for manufacturing weapons." Although the Houthis condemned it as a joint raid of "US-Israeli aggression," the U.S. denied involvement.
6 May.
On 6 May, Israeli forces targeted Sanaa International Airport, effectively disabling it by striking the runway, al-Dailami Air Base, the departure hall, and three civilian planes. The Israel Defense Forces claimed that the Houthis were using the airport to "transfer weapons and operatives." It also struck power stations in Sanaa, claiming that they served as "significant electricity supply infrastructure" for the Houthis. According to Houthi-linked media, three people were killed and another 38 were wounded. Three aircraft belonging to Yemenia were also reported to have been destroyed on the ground. According to the Airport director, Khaled al-Shaief, "around $500 million in losses were caused by the Israeli aggression" on the airport.
11 May.
On 11 May, the Houthi interior ministry reported that Israel struck the ports of Ras Isa, Hodeidah, and Salif after ordering the residents to leave. Houthi-run state media, however, denied that any Israeli attacks on Yemeni ports took place.
16 May.
On 16 May, 15 Israeli fighter jets bombed infrastructure at the Houthi-held ports of Hodeidah and Salif by dropping 30 munitions, claiming they were "used for the transfer of weapons" and reflected "cynical exploitation of civilian infrastructure by the Houthi terror regime to advance terror." Israel also warned that it would target Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi if Houthi attacks on Israel persist. According to Houthi authorities, at least one person was killed while nine others were injured by the attack.
28 May.
On 28 May, Israeli forces bombed Sanaa International Airport and destroyed the last plane belonging to the country's flag carrier, Yemenia, claiming it was being used by the Houthis. Yemenia said that the plane was scheduled to fly Muslim pilgrims to Hajj in Saudi Arabia, and announced the temporary suspension of flights to and from Sanaa's airport.
10 June.
At around 07:00 on 10 June, the Israeli Navy launched its first operation against the Houthis, targeting the port of Hodeidah through two warships, one of them a Sa'ar 6. According to Reuters, an Israeli military official described the operation as "a unique long-range strike conducted from hundreds of kilometers away" which took significant planning. The Houthi affiliated al-Masirah channel reported two separate missile strikes hitting two piers at the city port, but no casualties were reported. Israel later assumed responsibility for the attacks, justifying them by claiming that the Houthis were using the port for transferring weapons. Officials estimated that the port, which plays a key role for humanitarian aid entering the country, would be rendered unusable for about a month.
14 June.
On 14 June, amid the Iran–Israel war, the Israeli Air Force launched an attack on a meeting of senior Houthi officials in a residential compound in Sanaa, in an attempt to assassinate Houthi military chief of staff Muhammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari. According to Al-Hadath, Supreme Political Council chairman Mahdi al-Mashat was attending the meeting. The Houthis declined to discuss the attack but affirmed that "we are not afraid of being targeted" and "every leader is succeeded by a thousand leaders." The results of the strike are currently unknown.
Aftermath.
After the attacks, both Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz warned that the group will suffer more strikes and "heavy blows" respectively from the country if they did not stop their attacks, with Katz saying that Tehran, the capital of the group's funder Iran, will also be targeted. The Houthis have dismissed these claims as Israel's "further evidence of bankruptcy".
Before Katz and Netanyahu's statements a day earlier, the Houthis announced that they will still continue to target the country's ships, despite Oman's wish for freedom of navigation in the Red Sea at the ceasefire for the United States attacks in Yemen, unless Israel starts sending humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.