Israel Bombed Yemen’s Main Airport And Killed Three People While The WHO’s Director Was About To Board
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X that he was “just a few metres from” the area of the attack.
Israeli airstrikes targeted Yemen's main airport in the capital Sanaa on Thursday, Dec. 26, while the World Health Organization's Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was present.
The strikes killed at least three people and injured several others, including a United Nations worker.
The airstrike hit Sanaa International Airport just as Ghebreyesusand his team were about to board a flight.
He said on X that he was “just a few metres from” the area of the attack.
He had been visiting Yemen to negotiate the release of UN staff detainees and to assess the health and humanitarian situation.
The strikes caused heavy damage to the airport, including its air traffic control tower and departure lounge, Ghebreyesus said.
People injured by the strikes told Al Masirah, a Houthi-run broadcaster, that the strikes hit the runway three times before it also hit the control tower.
Israel’s military said in a statement that it had conducted “intelligence-based strikes” on Houthis’ military targets.
Later, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that it would “continue to cut off the terror arm of the Iranian axis of evil until we complete the job.”
“We are only just starting with [the Houthis],” he added.
The UN’s Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the airstrikes and said he was concerned about the “recent escalation between Yemen and Israel.”
The Houthis called the attack "barbaric" and "aggressive" and promised to meet “escalation with escalation”.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, the Houthis have been launching missile and drone attacks towards Israel and on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea to pressure Israel to stop its genocide in Gaza.
The situation has escalated since Dec. 19 when Israel struck Houthi “military targets”, killing nine people, with the two sides intensifying attacks.
Cherry Mohamed
Cherry Mohamed
Cherry Mohamed
