Israel conducted airstrikes on Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport on Wednesday, targeting what it described as Houthi “terror targets,” including the last remaining civilian aircraft operated by Yemenia Airways.
The attack, reported by Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV, involved four strikes on the airport’s runway, intensifying the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Yemeni rebel group.
Khaled al-Shaief, general director of Sanaa International Airport, stated on X, “The strike had completely destroyed the last of the civilian planes that Yemenia Airways was operating from the airport.”
The airport, Yemen’s largest, had resumed operations last week after temporary repairs following earlier Israeli strikes.
It primarily served United Nations aircraft and the now-destroyed Yemenia Airways plane, with three other civilian aircraft destroyed in a prior attack this month.
The Israeli strikes followed the Houthi group’s launch of two ballistic missiles toward Israel on Tuesday, both intercepted by Israeli air defenses.
The Houthis, part of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” alongside groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, have repeatedly targeted Israel since the onset of the Gaza genocide since October 2023, citing solidarity with Palestinians.
The group also threatened a “naval blockade” on Israel’s Haifa port last week after Israel escalated its military operations in Gaza.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized the strikes as a warning, stating, “This is a clear message and a continuation of our policy: Whoever fires at the State of Israel will pay a heavy price.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added, “But, as I have said more than once, the Houthis are only the symptom. The main driving force behind them is Iran, which is responsible for the aggression emanating from Yemen.”
The Houthis, controlling roughly 60% of Yemen’s population, have also targeted Red Sea shipping since November 2023, prompting U.S. and U.K. retaliatory strikes earlier this year.
A recent U.S.-Houthi ceasefire halted attacks on American ships, but tensions with Israel persist, with most Houthi missiles and drones intercepted or falling short.
The Houthis did not immediately comment on Wednesday’s strikes.