News - Middle East: The Yemeni Armed Forces confirmed that their Air Defenses intercepted the Zionist aggression against the country and thwarted the plan to target several Yemeni cities.

In a statement issued by the Armed Forces and delivered by their official spokesperson, Brigadier General Yahya Sare'e, it was reported that the combat formations involved in the aggression were forced to leave Yemeni airspace after being targeted with several domestically-produced surface-to-air missiles.

The statement added that the In response to this aggression, and continuing the victory for the oppressed Palestinian people, the Rocketry Force and Air Force carried out a joint, advanced military operation using eleven missiles and one drone.

The joint operation, the statement added, targeted Lod Airport, the power station in Ashkelon, and the port of Ashdod with three hypersonic missiles. The operation also targeted the port of Umm al-Rashrash (Eilat) with eight drones.

Brigadier General Sare'e stated that the missiles and drones successfully reached their targets and that the enemy's interception systems failed to stop them. He emphasized that Yemen will not kneel and that the criminal enemy will learn that its aggression against Yemen will come at a high cost. He affirmed Yemen’s full readiness to thwart all enemy military plans, to continue the long-term confrontation, and to counter hostile warplanes.

The statement also highlighted Yemen’s preparedness to confront any attempts to break the naval blockade imposed on the enemy in support of the people of Gaza. Yemen will continue to support Gaza until the aggression stops and the siege is lifted.

The Israeli regime has intensified its military campaign against Yemen after the Yemeni Armed Forces launched a Palestine-2 hypersonic ballistic missile at Lod (Ben Gurion) Airport, causing a temporary shutdown and sending millions into shelters. On Sunday night, Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on Hodeidah, a key port city in western Yemen.

In a clear escalation, the Israeli military had earlier issued evacuation threats for three Yemeni ports—Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and as-Salif—along with the Hodeidah power station, claiming that these sites were being used for military purposes. 

This comes as part of Israel's attempts to undermine the Yemeni Armed Forces, which have taken a frontline role in enforcing a strategic blockade on vessels heading toward Israeli-controlled ports. The blockade is intended to pressure Tel Aviv by disrupting its supply chains, particularly those involving military logistics, and to draw global attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Since October 7, 2023, over 57,300 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza due to relentless Israeli ground and aerial operations. In response, the Yemeni Armed Forces declared open support for the Palestinian resistance and pledged to continue missile and drone attacks on Israeli positions until the aggression on Gaza ceases.