Israel Claims to Strike Houthi Targets, Including Last Plane at Sanaa Airport

 

Israel announced that it targeted Houthi military assets, including the group's last operational civilian plane at Sanaa international airport in Yemen, following missile attacks from the Houthis toward Israel a day earlier. According to Khaled al-Shaief, the director of Sanaa Airport, the strike completely destroyed the last of Yemenia Airways' civilian planes operating from the airport. The airport, Yemen's largest, had recently resumed operations after repairs and runway restorations following previous Israeli strikes. 

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Israel’s defense ministry issued a statement warning that attacks on Israel would be met with heavy reprisals, framing these strikes as part of their broader policy. The Houthis, who are part of Iran’s regional "Axis of Resistance," control significant territories in Yemen and have been firing missiles and drones at Israel since October 2023 in solidarity with Palestinians. Most of these attacks have been intercepted, with Israel conducting retaliatory strikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized that Iran is the main instigator behind Houthi aggression, asserting that any harm to Israel would result in greater force, and that the Houthis are only a symptom of Iran’s regional influence.