(MENAFN) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to destroy the infrastructure of Yemen's Houthi militants, following a ballistic missile attack on Tel Aviv. In a speech to parliament, Netanyahu vowed to retaliate with full force against anyone attempting to harm Israel, stating that the Houthis would be struck "with strength and ingenuity" despite the time it might take.

The missile strike on Tel Aviv’s Jaffa area, claimed by the Houthis, hit its target accurately, according to their statement, and Israeli interception systems failed. This attack followed a recent exchange of hostilities, with Israeli warplanes targeting Yemeni ports and power infrastructure in response to a missile attack from the Houthis that activated air raid sirens in Israel. The Houthis reported nine casualties from the Israeli airstrikes, which targeted infrastructure they claimed to be civilian.

In the aftermath, the U.S. and U.K. launched airstrikes in Yemen, while the U.S. Navy accidentally downed one of its own F/A-18 jets in a friendly-fire incident, which the Pentagon attributed to a mistake. However, the Houthis disputed this version of events, claiming responsibility for downing the jet.

The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, became a dominant military force in Yemen's civil war. They have been involved in attacks on Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea since Israel's war with Hamas began last October.

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