2 killed, dozens wounded as Israel strikes Yemen's Houthi-held capital

Israeli air strikes on Yemen's capital Sanaa killed at least two people and wounded dozens more on Thursday, the Houthi militants said, a day after a drone attack hit an Israeli resort.

Israeli forces struck several Houthi-linked targets in the militant-held capital, Israeli officials said, warning of more attacks to come.

AFP correspondents in Sanaa heard explosions and saw plumes of smoke rising from three locations in the Sanaa area, in the latest retaliatory attack since the Houthis began targeting Israel in the wake of the Gaza war.

The Israeli "brutality... resulted in a number of civilian casualties", said Houthi health ministry spokesman Anees Alasbahi, providing a preliminary toll of "two martyrs and 48 wounded".

Earlier, the Houthis' Al Masirah television channel reported "Israeli aggression" on Sanaa, which came moments before the network began broadcasting rebel leader Abdul Malik Al Houthi's weekly pre-recorded speech.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X that Israel had "just dealt a powerful blow to numerous terror targets of the Houthi terror organisation in Sanaa".

An Israeli military statement said the targets included the Houthis' general staff headquarters, other security and intelligence sites including some used to store weapons and "plan and execute" attacks on Israel.

It added that the rebels' "military public relations headquarters" was also targeted.

Katz said the Israeli forces had "struck several military camps... eliminated dozens of Houthi terror operatives, and destroyed stockpiles of UAVs (drones) and weaponry".

The military statement said Israel would "conduct additional offensive operations against the Huthi regime in the near future".

Al Masirah said that a power station and two residential neighbourhoods had been targeted.

The impact sites were cordoned off, an AFP correspondent said. The Huthi authorities have previously warned Yemenis against publishing footage of locations hit in strikes, describing it as "a service to the enemy".

On Wednesday, a drone attack claimed by the Houthis struck the southern Israeli tourist resort of Eilat after failed attempts by Israel's air defences to intercept it.

Rescuers reported 22 wounded including two in serious condition.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz warned of a severe response.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels began targeting Israel with missiles and drones, as well as attacking vessels they deem linked to the country, after the 2023 start of the Gaza war.

The Houthis say they act in solidarity with Palestinians.

Israel in response has carried out strikes in Yemen, mainly targeting infrastructure such as ports, power stations and Sanaa's international airport.

In August, Israel assassinated the head of the Houthi government Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser Al Rahawi together with other senior officials.

Earlier this month, Israeli strikes killed 46 people, according to Houthi authorities.

The dead include journalists working for the September 26 and al-Yaman newspapers, who were killed in an attack on Sanaa that targeted the Houthi's military media operation.