Israeli airstrikes in Yemen threaten WHO chief's safety
Israeli attacks on the airport in Sanaa and the port of Al Hudaydah in Yemen have posed a danger to the WHO chief. The Houthi rebels accuse Israel of aggression, recalling previous attacks on Israel.
The Israeli armed forces carried out attacks on targets in Sanaa and the port of Al Hudaydah in Yemen, posing a serious threat to the World Health Organization (WHO) chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was there. According to the Houthi rebels, the shelling took place on Thursday, and the missiles fell just a few metres from where Ghebreyesus was located.
Attack on the airport in Sanaa
During the air raid, the control tower, departure lounge, and runway were damaged. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was supposed to board a plane at that time, reported on social media that both he and his colleagues are safe.
"We will have to wait for the airport damage to be repaired before we can take off," he wrote.
The Israeli army confirmed that the targets of the attacks included not only facilities in Sanaa and Al Hudaydah, but also other ports and energy infrastructure. In recent days, Yemeni targets have also been attacked by American forces.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the Houthis "will learn the same lesson as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Assad regime." He added that Israel is determined to "cut off the terrorist arm of the Iranian axis." Iran has long supported the Shiite Houthis in their rebellion against the Yemeni government.
The Israeli attacks occurred during a speech by the Houthi leader, Abdul al-Malik al-Houthi. According to Al Masirah TV, a television station run by the Houthis, three people were killed in the attacks.
Since October 2023, when the Iranian-backed Hamas attacked Israel, the Houthis have begun shelling commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, in solidarity with Hamas.