In a retaliatory attack, Israeli airstrikes on Yemen's capital, Sanaa, have killed at least six people and injured 86, according to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The strikes on Sunday came after the Houthis, who have been launching missiles and drones at Israel since the start of the Gaza war, fired a missile on Friday that Israeli authorities believe carried a cluster warhead.

Images from AFP showed a large fireball lighting up the Sanaa sky, leaving behind a thick column of black smoke. The Houthi-run Saba news agency reported that, citing the health ministry, six people were killed and 86 wounded, with over 20 in critical condition. A Houthi security source informed AFP that the strikes targeted a building in central Sanaa, while the group's Al-Masirah TV stated that an oil company facility and a power station in southern Sanaa, which was also struck last week, were hit.

The Israeli military confirmed its forces struck a military compound located within the presidential palace, two power plants, and a fuel storage site. The military stated the strikes were "in response to repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel and its civilians."

In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the air force had struck "the presidential palace in the heart of the capital Sanaa, the city's power plant and the fuel tanks that supply it." Netanyahu warned that the "Houthi terrorist regime is learning the hard way that it will pay -- and has paid already -- a very high price for its aggression against the State of Israel."

The Houthi political bureau vowed to respond, stating they would not "deviate from the fight" against Israel and its ally, the United States, "until the aggression stops and the blockade on Gaza is lifted." Iran's foreign ministry also condemned the Israeli strikes.

The recent strikes are the latest in a series of direct attacks and counterstrikes between Israel and Houthi rebels, a conflict that has intensified as a spillover from the ongoing hostilities in Gaza since October 2023. Beyond their missile and drone attacks on Israel, the Houthis have also targeted ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which they claim have ties to Israel. In turn, Israel has responded with strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.