Israel, US, UK Launch New Airstrikes On Yemen Amid Efforts To 'Hunt' Houthi Leaders

On Friday Israel has launched new major strikes on Yemen, amid ongoing vows to 'hunt' down Houthi leaders and kill them.

A new Israeli military (IDF) statement said fighter jets struck "on the western coast and inland Yemen" in response to the day prior Houthis having launched three drones at Israel. It also follows a Pentagon-ordered air raid on Yemen earlier this week. The fresh strikes further targeted the port city of Hodeida, Ras Isa Port, Sanaa, as well as North Western Amran province - and reportedly had participation from the US and UK.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that the latest air assault means Houthis will continue to pay a price for attacking Israel. 

He said that twenty Israeli Air Force jets participated in the new strikes against the Houthis, which followed on the heels of another new US-led coalition assault.

Times of Israel has noted that "The Houthis confirmed the strikes and said they occurred while people were rallying in Sanaa in support of Palestinians in Gaza."

Last month Netanyahu called out Iran for its support to the Houthis, warning that "whoever sponsors the Houthi terror in Hodeida or Sana’a will pay the full price." 

Washington has for years documented Tehran's support to the group, which has included advanced missiles and drone technology. This has allowed the threat out of Yemen to grow significantly.

Late December also saw one of the biggest Houthi strikes to date, coming in the form of a reported hypersonic ballistic missile which hit Tel Aviv, leaving 16 people injured.

Also on Friday, Israel launched new strikes in southern Lebanon, despite the ceasefire with Hezbollah having generally held up to this point.

Lebanon's health ministry said that this resulted in at least two people killed and two more wounded. "The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the attack in Tyre province, and it’s unclear what was targeted," Associated Press writes. "Lebanon’s state media reported the strike hit a car in the town of Tayr Debba."

While the Hezbollah front has generally quieted over the past month, the Red Sea situation seems to have no end in sight. The more that Israel and the US attack Yemen, the more the Houthis are resolved to respond, sometimes with direct attacks on Western warship's off Yemen's coast.