Houthi rebels in Yemen said Israeli air strikes targeted the rebel-held capital Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida on Thursday. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombing occurred as he was boarding a flight in Sanaa, injuring one crew member.
“The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge – just a few meters from our location – and the runway were damaged,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, adding that he and WHO colleagues were safe.
“We have to wait until the damage to the airport is repaired before we can leave.”
He did not mention the source of the bombardment.
The Israeli attacks were followed by several days of Houthi missile launches that set off sirens across Israel. The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and the ports of Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib, as well as power plants. There was no immediate response to questions about Tedros’ statement.
It came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “the Houthis will also learn what Hamas, Hezbollah, Assad’s regime and others have learned.”
Netanyahu monitored the new attacks along with military leaders, his government said. Iran-backed Houthi media confirmed the attacks in a Telegram post but gave no immediate details.
The US military has also targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days. The United Nations has noted that the ports are important access points for humanitarian assistance.
Over the weekend, 16 people were injured when a Houthi rocket hit a playground in Tel Aviv. Last week, Israeli warplanes attacked Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people. This is a response to previous Houthi attacks.
The Houthis have also targeted shipping in the Red Sea corridor, calling them solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
An Israeli attack kills five journalists who the IDF said were militants
Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike killed five Palestinian journalists outside a hospital in the Gaza Strip overnight, the territory’s health ministry said. According to the Israeli military, all five were militants posing as reporters.
The attack hit a car in front of Al-Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The journalists worked for local news agency Al-Quds Today, a television channel linked to the militant group Islamic Jihad.
The Iran-backed Islamic Jihad is a smaller and more extreme ally of Hamas and took part in its attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
The Israeli military identified four of the men as combat propagandists and said intelligence, including a list of Islamic Jihad militants found by soldiers in Gaza, had confirmed that all five were linked to the group.
Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian militant groups engage in political, media and charitable operations in addition to their armed wings.
Associated press footage showed the burnt shell of a van with press marks visible on the rear doors. Weeping young men attended the funeral outside the hospital. The bodies were wrapped in shrouds and blue press vests were draped over them.
Medics said the five were among at least 21 people killed in Israeli air strikes on the Palestinian enclave before dawn.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, over 130 Palestinian reporters have been killed since the war began. Israel has not allowed foreign reporters to enter Gaza, except at military bases.
Israel has regularly denied attacks on journalists and said it was taking measures to avoid attacks on civilians.
Israel and Hamas exchange blame over delayed ceasefire
On Wednesday, Hamas and Israel exchanged blame for failing to reach a ceasefire deal, despite both sides reporting progress in recent days.
Hamas said Israel had set further conditions, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the group of deviating from agreements already reached.
“The occupation has set new conditions regarding withdrawal, ceasefire, prisoners and the return of the displaced, which has delayed the achievement of the available agreement,” Hamas said.
Netanyahu responded in a statement: “The terrorist organization Hamas continues to lie, violate agreements already reached and continue to cause difficulties in negotiations.”
Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 45,300 Palestinians, according to health officials in the Hamas-run enclave. Most of the 2.3 million residents have been displaced and much of the Gaza Strip lies in ruins.
The war was triggered by the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which, according to Israeli information, 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage to Gaza.
