Israel strikes Yemen in response to Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv

• The Houthis, an Islamist militant group backed by Iran, have harassed and attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea for months in response to Israel's war in Gaza.
• Houthi officials said the Israeli strike hit oil facilities in the port of Hodeidah, which is controlled by the rebel group.
• The Saudi television channel al-Hadath reported three people were killed and 15 wounded in the Israeli strike.

Behind the scenes: Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant spoke to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday and told him Israel was likely to respond to the Houthi attack, which killed one Israeli and wounded several others, a U.S. official said.

• Israeli and U.S. military officials spoke several times on Saturday ahead of the strike, the official said.
• An Israeli official confirmed the strike and said it was conducted in coordination with the U.S. and an international coalition formed to counter Houthi attacks.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the security cabinet on Saturday to approve the strike — a highly unusual meeting, with many religiously observant ministers arriving on the Sabbath.

What they're saying: A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement: "IDF warplanes recently attacked military targets of the Houthi terrorist regime in the Hodeida port area in Yemen, in response to the hundreds of attacks against the State of Israel in recent months."

• The Houthis claimed in a statement that the Israeli strike targeted civilian facilities, oil tanks and the electricity station in Hodeidah. "The aim was pressuring Yemen to stop supporting Gaza, which is a dream that will not come true. This will only increase the determination of the Yemeni people and their armed forces to support Gaza," the Houthis said.
• Gallant said in a statement: "The fire that is currently burning in Yemen, is seen across the Middle East. The first time that the Houthis harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required."

Between the lines: A senior Israeli official said the strike in Yemen was a purely Israeli action.

• "This was a targeted operation at the port of Hodeida. We carried out the strike after many months of restraint in the face of Houthi attacks that included the firing of dozens of items, including surface-to-surface missiles," the official said.
• "Israel will act everywhere to protect its citizens and its sovereignty."

The official added that the port of Hodeida is "terrorist infrastructure and a legitimate military target" that he claimed is used by the Houthis for obtaining weaponry.

• The official said the port was previously "granted immunity" because humanitarian aid is delivered there. In practice, the official claimed, most of the aid goes to the Houthis and not to the citizens of Yemen.
• "Israel has nothing against the citizens of Yemen. Israel does not want a regional war but will continue to protect its citizens from attacks. The attack by the Houthis on Tel Aviv crossed all the red lines and that is why we responded to it after nine months of restraint," the official said.

What to watch: The official said the international community must increase its military activity against the Houthis, ramp up economic pressure through sanctions and demand that Iran restrain the militants and stop supplying them with weapons.

• A White House official said President Biden received a briefing on developments in the Middle East and the strike against the Houthis from deputy national security adviser Jon Finer.
• "We've been in regular and ongoing contact with the Israelis following the strike in Tel Aviv that killed an Israeli civilian on Friday morning. We fully recognize and acknowledge Israel's right to self-defense. The United States was not involved in today's strikes in Yemen, and we did not coordinate or assist Israel with the strikes," a National Security Council spokesperson said.

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Editor's note: This story has been updated with new details and statements.