WHO Chief and UN staff at Yemen Airport during Israeli air strikes
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and other UN staff were at Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport when Israeli air strikes hit on Thursday. They were preparing to board a plane when the bombing began. Ghebreyesus confirmed that one of the crew members was injured, and two people at the airport were killed.
The strikes, which also targeted power stations and ports, resulted in at least three deaths and over a dozen injuries, according to Houthi-run media. The casualties’ identities remain unclear, as it’s uncertain whether they were civilians or Houthi rebels.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed responsibility, saying their fighter jets conducted strikes on military targets in Yemen. These targets included military infrastructure at the airport, power stations in Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib, and various ports along the western coast. The IDF emphasized the strategic nature of the targets, linked to the Houthi “terrorist regime.”
In response, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue targeting the “terror arm” of the Iranian axis, referring to the Houthis, and stated the strikes were just the beginning.
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthi Supreme Revolutionary Committee, condemned the strikes as “barbaric” and vowed to persist in confrontations with Israel and the U.S. until the Gaza conflict ends.
Witnesses at the airport, interviewed by Houthi-run media, reported that the runway was struck three times before the control tower was hit. Dr. Abbas Rajeh, a local hospital worker, treated ten victims, one of whom died and another was in critical condition.
Iran also condemned the Israeli strikes, calling them a clear violation of international peace and security.
Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have been targeting Israel since the start of the Gaza conflict in October 2023. Israel has retaliated with intermittent strikes against the Houthis, and Israel’s defense minister recently warned of further escalations, including actions to “decapitate” the group’s leadership. The Houthis have controlled large parts of western Yemen, including Sanaa, since 2015.
