The military of Israel said it “fully disabled” Yemen’s largest airport in the capital Sanaa, controlled by the Houthis.
Airport sources reported to Reuters news agency that the attacks on Tuesday targeted three civilian planes, the departures area, the runway, and a military air base. The Houthis reported at least three people killed and threatened retaliation.
This follows two days after Iran-backed Houthis launched a missile that hit close to Israel’s primary airport, causing it to shut temporarily.
Retaliation by Israel : Strike on Hudaydah and Sanaa
Israel retaliated on Monday by attacking the Yemeni port city of Hudaydah, then bombed Sanaa airport the following day. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to hold anyone who targets Israel “accountable.”
In a video statement shared on X, Netanyahu said whoever attacks Israel “bears responsibility for his own blood.” “Our choice of when to respond, how to respond and on which targets to respond is a consideration that we make every time,” he added.
Israel has launched several rounds of strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, including targeting a power plant and ports in January. It previously attacked Sanaa airport in December.
IDF’s Latest Strike on Sanaa Airport
Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had attacked “flight runways, aircraft, and infrastructure at the airport.” It alleged the Houthis were using the airport to “transfer weapons and operatives.”
Israel’s military said it also struck power stations in Sanaa, which it described as “significant electricity supply infrastructure” for the Houthis, as well as the al-Imran cement factory in the north of the city.
The Houthis warned that they would not let Israeli “aggression pass without a response, and Yemen will not be discouraged from its stance in support of Gaza.”
Hudaydah Attack and Its Impact on Yemen
Monday’s attack on Hudaydah also included strikes on a different cement factory. The port is the second-largest in the Red Sea after Aden, and is the entry point for about 80% of Yemen’s food imports.
The Houthis said that Monday’s attack killed at least four people and wounded 35 others. The group blamed the US and Israel jointly for the attack, but a US defence official told the AFP news agency that their forces did not participate.
Houthi Missile Attack on Airport in Israel
The Houthi missile fired towards Ben Gurion airport, near Tel Aviv, on Sunday landed next to an access road near the main terminal. Six people were injured, Israeli emergency services said.
Following the strike, the Houthis said they would impose “a comprehensive aerial blockade” on Israel by targeting airports in response to Israel’s plans to expand its military operations in Gaza.
At the time, Netanyahu vowed retaliation against the Houthis for the airport attack, saying: “We attacked in the past, we will attack in the future.”
