Israel Hit Yemen Amid Gaza War
Israeli strikes hit Yemen’s capital Sanaa and the northern province of Al-Jawf on Wednesday, killing nine individuals and wounding 118, based on the Houthi-controlled health ministry. Trails of heavy smoke were observed over Sanaa as the bombing shook the city, held by Iran-allied Houthis for more than a decade.
The strikes are the latest flareup of the conflict tied to the Gaza war, with Israel hitting Houthi military facilities that it claimed were being used to facilitate attacks against Israel. The Israeli military said the airstrikes struck Houthi camps, a military public relations center, and a fuel depot. The Houthis, however, said the attacks largely struck civilian buildings, including two newspapers and government offices in Al-Jawf.
Houthi Reaction and Continued Tensions
Houthi forces reported their air defenses intersected with Israeli planes during the attack. “Our air defenses are now facing Israeli aircraft carrying out aggression against our nation,” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced on Telegram. Locals characterized the Sanaa target as a command and control bunker between two mountains, although the extent of the damage is unknown.
The escalation comes after Houthi attacks on Red Sea ships and missile fire at Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Several of these missiles were downed, but a drone made it to southern Israel’s airport on Sunday. Israel retaliated by targeting Houthi-held territories before, including the strategically important port of Hodeidah.
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Global Fallout
The expanding reach of the conflict follows European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying she would seek sanctions and limited trade measures against Israel for its actions in Gaza. She also suggested suspending some EU executive assistance to Israel while stressing Israeli civil society and Holocaust remembrance programs would be maintained.
The Gaza conflict, ignited on October 7, 2023, after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel and killed over 1,200 civilians, has since killed more than 64,600 Palestinians. Israel maintains it targets militants and blames Hamas for civilian casualties due to the group’s operations in densely populated areas. Meanwhile, around 90% of Gaza’s 2 million residents have been displaced amid extensive urban destruction.
As the Gaza conflict bleeds into Yemen, experts warn the region is building toward a worsening humanitarian and geopolitical crisis, with tensions rising between Israel, the Houthis, and global powers that are working through divided attitudes toward intervention and sanctions.
