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Israeli warplanes have struck targets across Yemen for the second time in a week, including an airport, energy facilities and ports, marking an escalation of strikes in retaliation for recent missile attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Israel's military said on Thursday it had carried out “intelligence-based strikes” on targets used by the Houthis for “military operations” and entry points into Yemen used by Iranian officials and arms smugglers.
Among the areas hit were the Sana'a airport, two power stations and three ports on the country's west coast, including Hodeidah.
At least four people were killed and 16 injured during the protests, according to local media reports from Yemen, although the extent of damage to various facilities remains unclear.
A humanitarian delegation led by the head of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was present at Sana'a airport during the attack.
According to Tedros' statement, one of the airmen was injured, although he said UN and WHO officials were “safe”.
“We will have to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we leave,” he added.
According to Israeli media reports, some twenty fighter jets took part in the daytime raid, the fourth direct attack by Israel on Yemen since the summer. second time in as many weeksafter the Houthis recently increased their missile attacks on the Jewish state.
“We are determined to dismantle this terrorist arm of evil in Iran. We will continue this until we finish the job,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.
At least five ballistic missiles have been fired into central Israel in the past 10 days, including on Christmas morning, sending millions of residents fleeing to bomb shelters.
On two occasions the Israeli air defense failed to completely block incoming projectiles, and landed in one school and another in a playground in the Tel Aviv area, slightly damaging 16 people.
The Houthis, who control northern Yemen and the capital, began shooting at merchant ships in the Red Sea and launched hundreds of armed drones and missiles at Israel after the attack by the Hamas group based in Gaza on October 7 2023, saying they were working in collaboration with the Palestinians. Their raids severely disrupted shipping on one of the most important sea trade routes.
Together with Hamas, the Lebanese forces Hizbollah and Shia militias in Iraq and Syria, the Houthis have formed an “axis of resistance” led by Iran whose power has been severely undermined by Israel in recent months.
The navy, led by US and UK forces, tried to protect merchant ships in the area. Last week coalition jets themselves launched airstrikes on what the US military described as Houthi “command and control” centers in Sana'a.
The leader of the militia, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, was giving his weekly televised address when the bombing began.
Israel Katz, Israel's defense minister, on Thursday also vowed to “hunt down” the leaders of the Houthis and “destroy” the group as Israel said from Hamas and Hizbollah.
Yet Houthi officials have promised to continue their attacks on Israel and international ships as long as the war in Gaza continues.