Israeli military intercepts missile fired from Yemen

The Israeli military said on Sunday (July 21) that it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen towards the Red Sea resort town of Eilat, after Israel bombed a port held by the country's Houthi rebels.

"The projectile did not cross into Israeli territory. Rocket and missile sirens were sounded following the possibility of falling shrapnel," the military said in a statement.

Israel's aerial defence system has repeatedly shot down Houthi weapons off the coast of Eilat in recent months.

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Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen, claims three lives

Meanwhile, three people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Houthi-controlled Yemeni port of Hodeida, the Iran-backed group said on Sunday (July 21), a day after the group's deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv.

The strikes on the port, which triggered a raging fire and cloud of black smoke, are the first claimed by Israel in the Arabian peninsula's poorest country, about 2,000 kilometres (1,300 miles) away, analysts said.

"There is a prize for every Israeli citizen’s blood," Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said, adding more operations against the Houthis would follow "if they dare to attack us".

Gallant stated that the strikes on Hodeida served as a warning to other Iran-backed armed groups throughout the Middle East, which have claimed responsibility for attacks on Israel during the Gaza conflict.

"The fire that burning in Hodeida, is seen across the Middle East and the meaning is clear," Gallant said.

The Israeli strikes killed three people and injured 87, according to a statement from the rebel-run health ministry, as reported by Houthi media. The ministry previously noted that most of the injured had sustained severe burns.

Netanyahu's stern warning to Israel's enemies

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned anyone "who harms us will pay a very heavy price", after Friday's drone attack in Tel Aviv that killed an Israeli civilian.

"I have a very simple message for Israel's enemies-Do not doubt Israel's determination to defend itself. All those who wants to harm us will pay a very heavy price for their aggression," Netanyahu said in a televised address.

Netanyahu stated, "It was used as their (Houthis) entry point for weapons supplied by Iran to its Houthi terrorist proxies. The Houthis have used those weapons to attack Israel, attack Arab states in the region, and attack many others."

Brutal aggression

In a statement on social media, top Houthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam described the event as "brutal Israel aggression against Yemen".

He stated that the attack targeted "fuel storage facilities and a power plant" in Hodeida "to pressure Yemen to stop supporting" Palestinians in the Gaza war.

"The city is dark, people are on the streets, petrol stations are closed and witnessing long queues," said a Hodeida resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

In a statement published by the Houthi-run Saba news agency, the oil ministry sought to reassure Yemenis that there are "large and sufficient amounts of oil reserves."

While the maritime security firm Ambrey stated it observed four merchant vessels in the port at the time of the air strike and another eight in the anchorage.

"No damage to merchant vessels has been reported at this time," it said.

(With inputs from agencies)