The Houthi group, classified internationally as a terrorist organization, announced on Thursday, December 19, 2024, that nine people were killed during twelve airstrikes conducted by Israeli forces on the capital Sana’a and the western province of Hudaydah, which borders the Red Sea.

According to the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah channel, the airstrikes targeted the Hudaydah port and the Ras Isa oil facility, resulting in the deaths of nine civilians and injuries to three others.

Earlier in the day, the Houthi-controlled Saba News Agency reported that the Israeli strikes included four attacks on the Hizziz power station south of Sana’a and two on the Dhahban power station north of the capital. A security source, who wished to remain anonymous, indicated that the attacks also struck the Hudaydah port and the Ras Isa facility, causing casualties among staff there.

On the same day, the Houthi group claimed to have launched two Palestine-2 ballistic missiles at "significant" military targets in Yafa, central Israel, although details were not disclosed.

In response, the Israeli military stated that fourteen of its warplanes conducted strikes on five locations in Yemen, targeting ports and energy infrastructure in Sana’a and Hudaydah. This marks the third Israeli attack on Yemeni territory following recent Houthi assaults in the Red Sea.

The first of these attacks occurred in July, followed by a second in September, both aimed at the Hudaydah port and fuel facilities in the region. Since November, the Houthi group has escalated its missile and drone attacks against commercial shipping in the Red and Arabian Seas, leading to increased maritime insurance costs and prompting international shipping companies to reroute through the longer path around the southern tip of Africa.

To counter the Houthi threat, the Prosperity Guard coalition, led primarily by the United States and supported by the UK, began conducting airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen in January 2024. The group has since expanded its operational scope to target vessels associated with Washington and London.