“Responsible Statecraft”: Israeli Strikes on Hodeidah Push Yemenis to Launch More Attacks on Israel

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The website “Responsible Statecraft” published an article by Daniel Larison discussing the impact of Israeli and Western attacks on Yemenis and their determination to continue supporting Gaza. Below is the translated text of the article:

Israeli forces attacked “vital civilian infrastructure” in the port of Hodeidah in Yemen on Saturday in response to a drone strike by the Houthis that exploded over Tel Aviv, according to the Yemeni independent human rights organization, Mwatana.

The Israeli military claimed it struck “military targets,” but Mwatana confirmed that the strikes caused significant damage to oil facilities, fuel tanks, the port quay, and cranes, all essential for providing the civilian population in northern Yemen with much-needed supplies.

The organization also reported that the strikes destroyed the central power station that supplies electricity to the entire city. The Sana’a government stated that the strikes killed at least six people and injured dozens.

Yemen affairs researcher Nick Broomfield commented on the choice of targets, stating, “The Israeli attack targeted an oil storage facility in Hodeidah, not a center where the Houthis hide weapons. The best I can say is that Israel is deliberately targeting vital civilian infrastructure.”

Israeli forces used the same tactics in their attack on Yemen that they have used to devastating effect in Gaza. The Israeli response represents a significant escalation against the Houthis, who have launched drones and missiles at Israeli targets since the war on Gaza began.

Yemeni attacks have had an impact: Israel’s port of Eilat is now bankrupt, and the U.S. Navy has spent over a billion dollars intercepting much cheaper Houthi weapons in the Red Sea.

Like the ineffective U.S.-British bombing campaign against the Houthis that began in January, these Israeli strikes benefit the Houthis. Direct conflict with both the U.S. and Israel significantly boosts the Houthis’ internal political standing, and their opposition to the war in Gaza has elevated their international stature.

In addition to being a disproportionate response to a drone attack, the strikes on Hodeidah are almost certain to prompt the Houthis to launch more attacks on Israel.

Hodeidah was a frequent target of Saudi-led coalition airstrikes before the 2022 ceasefire came into effect, but this did nothing to stop the Houthis’ attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the Israeli military knows that striking Yemen is unlikely to deter the Houthis from launching more drones and missiles. Escalation against the Houthis will not make Israel safer but will increase pressure on Israeli resources as it brings the region closer to a wider war. As long as the U.S. continues to support Israel’s war in Gaza and its military campaign in Yemen, it is at significant risk of becoming embroiled in that broader war.

The only harm these strikes cause is to the Yemeni people by targeting the main entry point for food in a country that imports more than 70% of its food supplies and 90% of its wheat.

Israeli strikes in Yemen will make it difficult for the Biden administration to pretend that Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea are unrelated to the war in Gaza. The administration wants to keep these conflicts in separate boxes to maintain the illusion that it has prevented the war in Gaza from destabilizing the region, but it is clear that they are all interconnected, and it is in no one’s interest to ignore this fact.

If the U.S. wants to see an end to Houthi attacks on ships and those targeting Israel, it must exert real pressure on the Israeli government to end its campaign in Gaza. The war in Gaza is the main driver of all these conflicts, and none of them will be successfully resolved before achieving a permanent ceasefire and ending the siege that is strangling the Palestinian people there.

At the very least, the U.S. should pressure the Israeli government to avoid any further escalation against other countries in the region. This requires, among other things, sending a clear message to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu when he comes to Washington this week that the U.S. will not rescue him if he goes to war in Lebanon. The region cannot withstand more conflicts, and the U.S. must stop fueling existing conflicts with more weapons and support.

Source: Al-Mayadeen