Israel Bombs Target Houthis And Expands Attacks In Lebanon

Israeli military illustration of MLRS rocket launchers. (Wikimedia Commons/Israeli Defense Forces Spokesperson's Unit.)

JAKARTA - Israel said it bombed Houthi targets in Yemen on Sunday, as it launched further airstrikes in Lebanon, expanding its confrontation with Iran's allies in the region two days after killing Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Airstrikes at the port of Hodeidah in Yemen have responded to the Houthi missile strike in Israel in recent days, Israel said, amid fears the fighting in the Middle East could spiral out of control and involve Iran and the United States, Israel's main ally.

The Houthi-led health ministry said at least four people were killed and 29 injured.

The attack comes as Israel strikes more targets in Lebanon, its two-week increasingly intense bombing site has killed a number of Hezbollah's top leaders and expelled hundreds of thousands of people from their homes.

Lebanese Health Ministry said Israel's attack on Sunday had killed at least 105 people, including 32 people in Ain Deleb in the south and 33 inANTek-Hermel in the northeast. In addition, at least 14 medics have been killed in airstrikes over the past two days.

Israel on Sunday pledged to continue launching its attacks.

"We need to continue to attack Hezbollah hard," Israeli Chief of Staff Defense Forces Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said.

Israeli unmanned aircraft flew over Beirut overnight and throughout Sunday, with new airstrikes resonant around the Lebanese capital.

It is known that Hezbollah and Israel have been shooting each other across the border since the start of the war in Gaza, which was triggered by the October 7 attack by Hamas militants. Meanwhile, Yemen's Houthis have launched sporadic attacks on Israel during that time and disrupted shipments through the Red Sea.

Israel quickly stepped up its attack on Hezbollah two weeks ago, killing many of the group's leaders, as it wanted to make the northern region safe for residents to return to their homes. The Israeli defense minister is now discussing the expansion of the attack.

Nasrallah's death dealt a very significant blow to the group he led for 32 years, and was followed by a new Hezbollah rocket attack on Israel. Iran says its death will be rewarded.

Nasrallah's body was found intact from Friday's Finger attack site, medical sources and security sources told Reuters. Hezbollah has not said when the funeral will be held.

Lebanese people mourn Hassan Nasrallah's death on Sunday.

"We lost a leader who gave us all the strength and belief that our beloved little country could turn it into heaven," said Lebanese Christian SophiaRUiardard, carrying a black flag to work in Beirut.

Lebanese Ministry of Health said more than 1,000 Lebanese had been killed and 6,000 others injured in the past two weeks, without specifying how many of them were civilians. The Lebanese government says one million people, one fifth of the population, have fled their homes.