Israeli strike on Yemeni port caused $20 million in damage, official says

An Israeli strike on Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Hodeida port 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.

The July 20 attack on Hodeida, the main harbor under the control of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, destroyed most of the port’s oil storage capacity and triggered a massive inferno that burned for days.

Israel struck the port in western Yemen after a drone launched by the Houthis on July 19 struck Tel Aviv and killed an Israeli man.Promoted: The Jaffa Institute: Providing war relief to Israelis in needKeep Watching

The rebel group said nine people were killed in the retaliatory strike — the first attack ever claimed by Israel on Yemen.

The strike, carried out by dozens of Israeli aircraft, targeted fuel reports and the port’s energy infrastructure, as well as four large container cranes. Israel said the port in general, and the cranes specifically, were used to import Iranian weapons.