An Israeli strike on Yemen's rebel-held port of Hudayda has caused at least $20 million in damage, adding to losses due to the destruction of fuel storage facilities, a port official said on Monday, according to the AFP news agency.
The July 20 attack destroyed most of the port's oil storage capacity and triggered a massive inferno that burned for days, the report said.
The Israeli attack was in retaliation for the Houthi rebels’ UAV attack on Tel Aviv. The UAV exploded near a residential building, killing one person and injuring ten.
Speaking to AFP from the Hudayda harbor after operations resumed last week, port official Nasr al-Nusairi relayed the results of a preliminary damage assessment, saying two cranes were destroyed, a small vessel was burnt and a number of buildings were torched.
"There is also damage to the docks," said Nusairi.
He estimated the cost of port damage to "exceed $20 million", noting, however, that the sum does not factor in losses incurred by the destruction of fuel storage facilities which "is the responsibility of the oil ministry".
The port damage caused a temporary interruption of activities but operations resumed quickly, Nusairi said.
Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi said several days ago that a Houthi response to Israeli air strikes near Al Hudaydah port is coming.
The group's attacks on Israel in solidarity with Gaza will continue and not be deterred by the Israeli strikes, he added.
The Iranian-backed Houthis have upped their attacks in the region since the start of the war in Gaza, having launched drones towards southern Israel and targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea region.
In the wake of the uptick in Houthi attacks, the US formed a coalition, made up of more than 20 countries, aimed at safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthis.
In mid-January, with support from other countries, the US and Britain targeted just under 30 Houthi locations with 150 different weapons. They have since carried out several rounds of strikes against Houthi targets.
The Houthis have been unfazed by the strikes, saying that the campaign against the "Zionist enemy" will continue and that the attacks against the American and British ships will not stop.Israel National News - Arutz Sheva