Barran Press
An Israeli report published Tuesday, July 30, 2024, estimated the cost of the recent airstrikes on Yemen's Hodeidah port at between $6 and $10 million. In contrast, the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, is expected to face losses exceeding $320 million due to the attack.
According to the report in the Israeli newspaper "Israel Hayom," the Houthi group generates approximately $3 million daily through the Hodeidah port, their economic lifeline, which imports goods, food, and Iranian weapons.
The report, citing various Arab media sources, detailed that Israeli forces targeted 20 fuel storage facilities, mostly within the port itself, causing massive fires. Israeli airstrikes also hit Houthi military sites used for storing weapons from Iran, including the Ras al-Khatib power plant.
Regarding the cost of the attack and the estimated damage to the Houthis, the report provided approximate figures for the operational cost of the aircraft involved, fuel expenses, and aircraft refueling during the flight to Hodeidah.
The newspaper stated, "Conservatively, it can be said that the historic Israeli attack on Yemen likely cost at least $6 million, and possibly exceeding $10 million, depending on the number of aircraft, additional equipment involved, the type of munitions, their quantities, and more."
The report also addressed the potential losses incurred by the Houthi group due to the airstrikes, noting their daily income of $3 million from the Hodeidah port. It estimated that rebuilding the port would take between six months and a year.
The report emphasized that a complete closure of the port would force the Houthis to shift all trade to the ports of Salif and Ras Isa, which would be unable to handle such large volumes of goods. In a scenario where the Hodeidah port's shipping capacity is reduced by 20% for six months, the Houthis would lose approximately $108 million in trade alone.
The report added, "In a more severe scenario for them, where the port is closed for a year, and in the two weeks where trade is frozen, they manage to transfer 75% of it to the smaller ports until Hodeidah is restored, the Houthis would lose around $312 million."
Beyond the commercial losses, "Israel Hayom" highlighted the costs of rehabilitating the power plant, storage facilities, and other infrastructure, which could reach tens of millions of dollars.
Regarding the direct damage caused by the airstrikes, the Israeli newspaper reported that recent satellite images from the Israeli EROS B satellite revealed the destruction of about two-thirds of the oil and fuel reserves in Hodeidah port.
Earlier, Naser al-Nassiri, deputy chairman of the Houthi-controlled Red Sea Ports Authority responsible for the port, confirmed that the material damage from the Israeli strike on Hodeidah port in western Yemen amounted to approximately $20 million, excluding oil losses.
Al-Nassiri told AFP that the losses "exceed twenty million dollars for the port, while the oil facilities are left to the Ministry of Oil to assess," indicating that "there was material damage to the port and oil facilities, including the destruction of two gantry cranes, a sea vessel, and a number of facilities and buildings belonging to the authority in the port, in addition to damage to the quays, which led to the suspension of port activities for a specific period."
On the evening of Saturday, July 20, Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on the Hodeidah port in western Yemen, targeting fuel tanks, a power plant, and other facilities, causing fires that raged for days.
In addition to the destruction caused by the airstrikes, a Houthi statistic reported that the Israeli airstrikes resulted in nine deaths and 80 injuries among civilians. Many considered this attack the first of its kind since the Houthis engaged in military operations against Israel, claiming to support Gaza, on November 21 of last year.
Later, Israel claimed responsibility for the airstrikes. An Israeli military spokesperson stated, "Our warplanes carried out airstrikes on targets belonging to the Houthi regime in the Hodeidah port area in Yemen," noting that the airstrikes were "retaliation for Houthi attacks over the past months."
Early Friday morning, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation announced the death of an Israeli and injuries to 10 others after a drone crashed in the middle of Tel Aviv. The Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attack, describing it as "the first of its kind."