At least 35 people were killed in Israeli air strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on Wednesday, according to the Iran-backed group's health ministry.
The Israeli military said it struck military targets in the capital Sanaa and al-Jawf province, including what it called the Houthis' military public relations headquarters, in response to recent missile and drone attacks on Israel.
However, the Houthis' military spokesman said the targets were civilian, adding that journalists and passersby were killed when the offices of two newspapers were hit.
In the early hours of Thursday, the Israeli military stated it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen.
The Houthis did not comment on the launch, but one of the group's leaders had vowed to respond to the Israeli strikes with all our might.
Last month, an Israeli strike in Sanaa killed the prime minister of the Houthi-run government, Ahmed al-Rahawi, and several ministers.
Videos posted online on Wednesday afternoon showed plumes of black smoke rising from the sites of several explosions in Sanaa, and first responders searching through the rubble of damaged buildings.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced in a statement that aircraft had struck an unspecified number of military targets in the capital and in al-Jawf, including military camps, a fuel storage facility, and what it called the Houthis' public relations department.
The military camp had been used to plan attacks on Israel, it added.
Those attacks have involved the launch of hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and surface-to-surface missiles towards Israeli territory over almost two years. Most have been intercepted, but one drone hit an airport in southern Israel on Sunday, wounding one person.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that despite the Houthis’ retaliatory actions, Israel would continue to conduct strikes against terrorist facilities.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea claimed that their air defenses had engaged the Israeli aircraft and denied any missile launch sites were impacted, asserting that strikes targeted civilian locations.
The group's Al-Masirah TV reported that the strikes in Sanaa had hit a medical station, Houthi headquarters, and newspaper offices, causing casualties and extensive damage to nearby homes and shops.
As a potential response, the Houthi leadership warned of impending retaliation, stating that such attacks would only strengthen their resolve.
The conflict has persisted, with the Houthis maintaining control over large parts of northern Yemen following a civil war that erupted when they ousted the internationally recognized government ten years ago. Their recent aggression towards Israel began as solidarity for Palestinians amid ongoing hostilities related to the conflict with Hamas.
U.S. and U.K. forces have also conducted operations in response to Houthi attacks against international shipping channels.
