Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks against Israel, the day after deadly Israeli raids on sites controlled by these rebels, including the Sanaa airport where the head of a UN organization was located. .
In a statement, the Houthis said they fired a missile towards Tel Aviv airport, launched drones towards the city of Tel Aviv and attacked a ship in the Arabian Sea.
“Israeli aggression will only increase the determination of the Yemeni people to continue to support the Palestinian people,” they added.
In Israel, the army claimed that a missile launched from Yemen had been intercepted before crossing Israeli territory. Warning sirens were sounded in central Israel due to the possibility of falling debris.
The Houthi attacks come after Israeli strikes Thursday on rebel-controlled sites, including Sanaa airport, bases, power plants and port facilities elsewhere in Yemen, what the insurgents called “a crime.”
Six people died in Yemen, including four at Sanaa airport, according to the Houthis.
The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was at Sanaa airport at the time of the bombing and told X that he was “safe and sound.” However, a member of the crew of his plane was injured.
According to the WHO, Mr. Tedros is still in Yemen.
In a press conference, the deputy minister of Transport in the rebel administration, Faisal al-Sayani, clarified that flights had resumed Friday at 10:00 local time (07:00 GMT) at Sanaa airport.
According to him, the attack on the airport took place when many passengers were preparing to board a flight from Sanaa and another plane was preparing to land. “The passengers were evacuated in accordance with an emergency plan.” The control tower was “directly affected” in addition to the departure room and navigation equipment, he added.
Since 2022, only the national airline Yemenia has provided a limited commercial connection from Sanaa airport, with Amman as the main destination. Between 2016 and 2022, it only hosted humanitarian flights operated by the UN.
The Israeli army claimed to have targeted Thursday “military infrastructure used by the Houthis at Sanaa airport” as well as power plants and military sites, notably in Hodeida (west), the day after missile and drone attacks. Houthis against Israel.
The rebels, who control large parts of war-torn Yemen including the capital Sanaa, are supported by Iran, Israel’s sworn enemy. They are part of what Iran calls the “axis of resistance” against Israel, which also brings together the Palestinian movement Hamas, Iraqi groups and Lebanese Hezbollah.
