The military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al -Duwairi, said that the Israeli attack on the port of Hodeidah in Yemen represents the first offensive operation carried out by Israel by the Navy, in a remarkable shift from the pattern of air attacks it adopted during previous operations.
Al -Duwairi explained – in an analysis of the military scene – that this development is gaining a double strategy, the first of which is a military technology related to the expansion of operational options, and the second is a practical translation of previous statements made by Israeli officials regarding the intention of imposing a sea blockade on Yemeni ports.
This attack comes after the Israeli army announced today, Tuesday, the implementation of two raids on the sidewalks of Hodeidah by missile ships, following orders to evacuate 3 Yemeni ports claiming to use attacks on Israel, most notably the launch of a missile that did not reach the atmosphere of Tel Aviv.
Major General Al -Duwairi pointed out that the Israeli maritime capabilities include ships and submarines equipped with winged missiles carrying traditional heads, stressing that the diversity of their extent and its effectiveness allows Israel to carry out long -term operations without the need to refuel or air support, as is the case in air operations.
He explained that the cost of operating combat aircraft, especially outside their normal range, represents an operational burden, as planes such as “F-35” and “F-16” need to refueling by air, in addition to the need for protection aircraft, which makes the sea option more flexible and less expensive.
Siege
Al -Duwairi said that the recent statements of Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz – about the imposition of a sea blockade on the Houthis – were embodied in the field with this attack, which carried direct messages that Israel is not satisfied with warning but rather able to move to implement it.
Katz had described the attack as “successful”, noting that the arm of Israel “will reach everywhere”, salving a full maritime blockade in the event of the missile attacks from Yemen on Israel.
According to the media of Ansar Allah, the Houthi group, the raids targeted the sidewalks of the port without announcing injuries. The port of Hodeidah is one of the most important vital ports in Yemen, and it is a basic source of food and fuel supplies, as it is located close to the Bab al -Mandab Strait.
The port is under the control of the Houthis, while the forces loyal to the internationally recognized Yemeni government control other southern ports such as Al -Mokha and Bab al -Mandab, which Al -Duwairi explained during his intervention by determining the scope of the actual control of the Houthis.
These developments coincide with a sharp escalation in Israeli military operations on Yemeni soil, as the attack on Hodeidah is the tenth of its kind since the outbreak of the war on Gaza in October 2023, and the fourth since the resumption of military operations in March after a short truce.
In the past months, Israeli raids targeted civilian facilities such as electrical stations, cement factories, ports and airports, in a clear endeavor – according to observers – to weaken the infrastructure that the Houthis depend on.
The Houthis confirm that they will continue to attack Israel until it ended the war of extermination that it launched against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip 20 months.
