Israel struck Houthi targets in Yemen, including a power plant and coastal ports, and warned it would hunt down the group's leaders.
Since the Gaza war broke out in October 2023, the Iran-backed group has fired dozens of rockets and drones at Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Israel's latest strikes came after the military intercepted two drones believed to have been launched from Yemen the previous day.
"A short while ago... fighter jets struck military targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime on the west coast and in the interior of Yemen," the Israeli military said in a statement.
It said the strikes were carried out in response to Houthi missile and drone launches into Israel.
The statement said the targets included "military infrastructure sites at the Hizaz power plant, which serves as a central source of energy" for the Houthis.
It said that military infrastructure in the ports of Hodeida and Ras Issa had also been hit.
In a statement after the strikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Houthis were being punished for their repeated attacks on his country.
"As we promised, the Houthis are paying and will continue to pay a heavy price for their aggression against us," he said, vowing not to tolerate attacks against Israel.
"The Houthis are a puppet of Iran and serve the terrorist aims of the Iranian axis in the Middle East," he said, adding that the group posed a "danger to Israel" and the region.
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said Israel would "hunt down the leaders of the terrorist organization.
"The port of Hodeida is paralysed and the port of Ras Isa is burning - there will be no immunity for anyone," he said in a video address.
Yemen's Al-Masirah television reported that the power plant was hit eight times, injuring one worker and damaging nearby houses.
Yemenis taking part in the weekly protest in Sanaa in support of the Palestinians heard the strikes, the channel reported.
Al-Masirah reported that the port of Hodeida, which is vital for Yemen's imports, was hit six times and the port of Ras Isa was hit by a "series of raids".
The Houthis said in a statement that in the past 48 hours they had targeted Jaffa, the name they use for the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv.
The Iran-backed Yemeni rebels have also struck ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, prompting retaliatory strikes by the United States and sometimes Britain.
Prior to Friday's attacks, Israel had several times struck Houthi targets, including in the capital.| BGNES
