Israeli military claims ‘totally disabling’ the civilian facility, saying it additionally hit a concrete manufacturing facility and energy stations.
Israel has hit the primary worldwide airport of Yemen’s rebel-held capital Sanaa, “totally disabling” the civilian facility, in keeping with the Israeli military.
Tuesday’s assaults that additionally focused a concrete manufacturing facility and several other energy stations in and round Sanaa got here in response to Sunday’s ballistic missile strike close to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Worldwide Airport, the Israeli navy assertion mentioned.
The military claimed that “the airport served as a central hub for the Houthi terrorist regime to switch weapons and operatives”.
“The operation was authorized by the Commander of the Air Power and the Chief of Workers,” it mentioned. The navy added that it will “proceed to behave and strike with power” any group that poses a risk to Israel.
Reporting from Sanaa, Al Jazeera’s Mohammed al-Attab mentioned the outcomes of the assaults weren’t but clear.
“Up to now, we don’t know the impacts of this aerial bombardment on Sanaa Worldwide Airport or on the facility station. We haven’t but acquired any experiences about casualties or impacts on the infrastructure,” he mentioned.
‘Pure vandalism’
Sultan Barakat, a professor in public coverage at Hamad Bin Khalifa College in Qatar, says Sanaa Worldwide Airport is “not an enormous strategic goal” and that Israeli claims it’s getting used to obtain provides from Iran are “merely not true”.
“I believe it’s pure vandalism, to be sincere. The airport in Sanaa isn’t a traditional airport. It’s beneath an enormous restriction from the United Nations, from the Saudis, from the coalition – it’s beneath sanctions,” Barakat advised Al Jazeera.
He added that attacking the airport will solely hinder the operations of the United Nations and humanitarian businesses in one of many poorest nations on this planet.
Footage of the aftermath of the airport assault, verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking unit, exhibits giant clouds of darkish smoke rising into the air over the capital.
Earlier, the Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV confirmed that among the many websites focused is a cement manufacturing facility to the north of the capital and an influence station within the Bani al-Harith space.
The assaults come lower than 24 hours after Israel bombed the nation’s key Hodeidah port, killing a minimum of one individual and wounding 35 others.
The Houthi media workplace mentioned a minimum of six strikes hit the essential Hodeidah port. Others hit a cement manufacturing facility within the district of Bajil, 55km (34 miles) northeast of Hodeidah, the group added.
The Israeli navy mentioned the strikes sought to undercut the Houthi navy trade, claiming the manufacturing facility is an “financial useful resource” for the Houthis and “used to construct tunnels and navy infrastructure”.
Since November 2023, the Houthis, also called Ansar Allah, have launched greater than 100 drone and missile assaults concentrating on vessels they mentioned are linked to Israel within the Crimson Sea. The group says that it acts in assist of the Palestinians in Gaza and that its assaults will cease solely when there’s a everlasting ceasefire within the enclave.
Though the Houthis paused assaults throughout a fragile ceasefire in Gaza this yr, they resumed their operations after Israel reduce off humanitarian assist to Gaza and resumed its offensive in March.
The USA navy beneath US President Donald Trump has launched an intensified marketing campaign of air strikes on war-torn Yemen since March 15.
Israel has repeatedly struck Yemen, killing dozens of individuals, together with ladies and kids.