Airstrikes carried out by Israel obliterate the final aircraft at the airport under control of Yemeni rebels.
Israel Strikes Sanaa International Airport in Yemen, Destroying Last Operational Plane
Jerusalem - Israeli air strikes have destroyed the last remaining operational plane at Sanaa International Airport in rebel-held Yemen, both Israel and a Yemeni official confirmed on Wednesday. The attack comes weeks after a previous strike inflicted significant damage on the facility.
The air raid involved multiple strikes that hit the Yemenia Airways plane and the runway at Sanaa airport, as reported by the Houthi militants' Al Masirah TV channel. The Houthi militants decried the "Israeli aggression" following the attack. Thick black smoke was seen billowing from a stricken plane on the tarmac, according to a video posted by Sanaa airport director Khaled Al Shaief, who confirmed that it was Yemenia's last operational aircraft.
The airport resumed limited commercial services on May 17 after being closed due to a heavy Israeli attack that destroyed six planes just 11 days earlier. The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have been launching missile attacks against Israel and Red Sea shipping throughout the Gaza war. In response, Israel has conducted airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, including the Sanaa International Airport and key ports like Hodeida and Salif.
Israel's Defense Minister, Israel Katz, stated that the air force jets targeted Houthi "terror targets" at the airport, a day after the group fired two projectiles towards Israel. According to Yemenia, the plane that was destroyed was about to be boarded by pilgrims bound for the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Clashes between the Houthis and Israel are causing concern, as they are "exacerbating an already very fragile situation for Yemen and the region," warned UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg. The Houthis had earlier paused their attacks during a two-month ceasefire in Gaza that collapsed in March. The conflict, which began in 2015, has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths and triggered a major humanitarian crisis in Yemen, although fighting has decreased significantly since a UN-negotiated six-month truce in 2022.
The news of the Israel Defense Force attacking the Sanaa International Airport in Yemen has raised concerns within the global finance industry, as such actions could further destabilize the regional aerospace industry. The destruction of Yemenia Airways' final operational plane could hinder Yemen's capacity to facilitate commerce and aid, potentially impacting global finance and trade flows.
