Israeli airstrikes targeted Yemen’s international airport and other key sites in the capital, Sanaa, on Thursday, killing at least six people, according to Huthi rebel media reports.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, confirmed he was at the airport when the strikes occurred, revealing that one of his plane’s crew members was injured.
The Israeli military has yet to comment on whether they were aware of his presence during the attack.
The airstrikes, which targeted military facilities, power stations, and the airport, come as tensions between Israel and the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels escalate.
Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, warned that the strikes would continue until the “job is done” and reiterated the country’s determination to sever ties with Iran’s “axis of evil.”
The UN has expressed concern about the growing violence, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemning the strikes as “especially alarming.”
Tedros, who was in Yemen to discuss the release of detained UN staff and assess the humanitarian crisis, explained on social media that he and his team were preparing to board their flight when the airport was bombed.
The attacks damaged key areas of the airport, including the air traffic control tower and the departure lounge.
The airport, which had been targeted by more than six attacks, is expected to reopen on Friday.
Alongside the strikes on the airport, additional airstrikes hit a power station in Hodeida, killing six people, according to Huthi sources.
The violence has sparked protests from the Huthis, who condemned the Israeli actions as a “Zionist crime” against the Yemeni people.
A spokesman for the Huthis also linked the airstrikes to a missile and drone assault on Israel the previous day.
In its response, the Israeli military stated that its strikes targeted military infrastructure used by the Huthi regime, which it accused of smuggling Iranian weapons into the region and allowing senior Iranian officials to enter.
Israel views the Huthis as a key player in the Iranian-led “axis of resistance.”
Iran has condemned the Israeli strikes as a violation of international peace and security.
The Palestinian group Hamas also condemned the attacks, describing them as an act of aggression against Yemen.
Tensions have been high between Israel and the Huthis, especially since the group has fired a series of missile and drone strikes at Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.
In retaliation, Israel has repeatedly targeted Huthi-controlled ports and energy facilities in Yemen.
Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, vowed Thursday that the country would continue to target Huthi leaders, stating that no one would be able to escape Israel’s reach.
He also warned that the Huthis would “pay a very heavy price” for their actions.
Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since 2014, with the Huthis seizing control of the capital, Sanaa, and forcing the internationally recognized government into exile.
The conflict has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, exacerbated by the intervention of a Saudi-led coalition backing the government.
