Israel's military says it has struck Yemen's presidential palace and a number of other targets in the country in retaliation for earlier missile launches by the Houthi rebels.
The strikes are the latest in more than a year of direct attacks and counterstrikes between Israel and Houthi militants in Yemen, part of a spillover from the war in Gaza.
Houthi media said the latest Israeli strikes, launched on Sunday local time, killed at least two people and injured 35.
In a statement, the Israeli military said the targets included a military compound housing the presidential palace, two power plants and a fuel storage site.
"All were used for the military activity of the Houthi terrorist regime," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
Sanaa residents told The Associated Press they heard explosions close to a closed military academy and the presidential palace.
They saw plumes of smoke near Sabeen Square, a central gathering place in the capital.
The IDF claimed the presidential palace was located within a military site "from which the military forces of the Houthi terrorist regime operate".
"The strikes were conducted in response to repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel and its civilians, including the launching of surface-to-surface missiles and UAVs toward Israeli territory in recent days," it said.
Strikes follow Houthi launch of new missile
On Friday, the Houthis said they had fired a ballistic missile towards Israel in their latest attack, which they said was in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
An Israeli Air Force official said on Sunday the missile most likely carried several sub-munitions "intended to be detonated upon impact".
There was no reported damage or injuries.
Israel’s military said it fragmented mid-air after several interception attempts.
The use of cluster bombs makes interception more difficult and represents additional technology provided to the Houthis by Iran, the official asserted.
"This is the first time that this kind of missile has been launched from Yemen," the official said.
The Houthis have launched missiles and drones toward Israel and targeted ships in the Red Sea for more than 22 months, in what they describe as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians amid the war in Gaza.
Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, vowed to continue attacks on Israel, writing on social media that “our military operations supporting Gaza won’t stop, God willing, unless the aggression is stopped, and the siege is lifted".
They have also frequently fired missiles towards Israel, most of which have been intercepted.
Israel has responded with strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including the vital Hodeidah port.
Abdul Qader al-Murtada, a senior Houthi official, said on Sunday that the group — who control much of Yemen's population — would continue to act in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
"[Israel] must know that we will not abandon our brothers in Gaza, whatever the sacrifices," he said on X.
Original Story link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-25/israeli-retaliatory-strikes-hit-yemeni-presidential-palace/105691830
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