Israeli Strikes Hit Yemen’s Sanaa Airport Amid Rising Tensions

Israeli airstrikes targeted Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport and other key sites on Thursday, resulting in reported fatalities. According to Huthi rebel media, six people were killed in the bombings, which hit the airport, military sites, and power plants in areas controlled by Huthi rebels.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director-general, confirmed that he was at the airport during the airstrikes and that one crew member of their plane was injured. Despite requests, the Israeli military has not yet commented on whether they were aware of his presence at the time.

The attacks on Yemen come amid escalating tensions between Israel and the Huthis, who are allied with Iran’s “axis of resistance.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel’s strikes would persist until their objectives were achieved, declaring their commitment to “cutting this branch of terrorism” linked to Iran.

The UN’s Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, condemned the attacks, particularly the strike on Sanaa’s airport, calling the escalation concerning. Tedros, who had been in Yemen to negotiate the release of detained UN personnel and evaluate the humanitarian situation, reported that he and his team were preparing to board a flight when the bombing occurred. He confirmed significant damage to the airport’s air traffic control tower, departure lounge, and runway, which would delay their departure until repairs were completed.

Witnesses reported that the Sanaa airport was hit by more than six separate airstrikes, with additional raids targeting the nearby Al-Dailami air base. Yemen’s civil aviation authority noted that the strikes occurred while a UN aircraft was preparing to depart, but they expect the airport to reopen on Friday.

Further strikes also targeted a power station in Hodeida. While Huthi officials confirmed six deaths from the raids, they also noted that two people were killed at the Sanaa airport, and one at Ras Issa port. Huthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam condemned the airstrikes, labeling them a “Zionist crime” against the Yemeni people, especially after the Huthis launched missile and drone attacks against Israel the previous day.