Israel Airstrikes Disable Yemen’s Main Airport Amid Houthi Tensions/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Israel says it has fully disabled Sanaa’s international airport with airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen, escalating tensions after a missile hit near Tel Aviv.
Israel-Houthi Conflict Escalates: Yemen Airport Struck – Quick Looks
- Airport Hit: Israel disables Sanaa International Airport in Yemen with direct airstrikes
- Power Infrastructure: Strikes also hit multiple power plants in the Yemeni capital
- Retaliation: Strikes follow Houthi missile attack on Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport Sunday
- Civilian Warning: Israeli military urged evacuation near Sanaa airport before airstrikes
- Previous Strikes: Israel targeted Hodeida Monday, killing at least one and wounding 35
- Houthi Role: Group continues attacks on Israel in solidarity with Gaza
- US Response: American forces under Trump have increased airstrikes on Houthi targets since March
- First Direct Hit: Sunday marked the first time a Houthi missile hit Israel’s main airport
Israel Airstrikes Disable Yemen’s Main Airport Amid Houthi Tensions
Deep Look
JERUSALEM — The Israeli military said Tuesday it has completely disabled Yemen’s main airport in Sanaa following a series of airstrikes targeting Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The latest escalation marks a dramatic turn in Israel’s expanding military campaign against threats from beyond its borders amid ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that in addition to the airport, the strikes also targeted multiple power plants around the Yemeni capital. Thick black smoke rising from Sanaa was captured on both Israeli TV and social media, as distant explosions echoed off the mountains surrounding the city.
This marks the second straight day of Israeli military action against Houthi targets in Yemen, following a missile strike by the Houthis on Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport on Sunday — the first time a missile had hit the vicinity of Israel’s main airport since the outbreak of war in October 2023.
Civilian Warnings and Escalation
Shortly before Tuesday’s strikes, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted a warning in Arabic on social media, urging people to evacuate the area around the airport.
“Failure to evacuate the area endangers your lives,” he cautioned, sharing a map of the airport location.
Despite the warning, the Houthis confirmed damage to Sanaa International Airport, but no immediate casualty figures were available.
A day earlier, Israeli jets struck Hodeida, a Red Sea port city, killing at least one person and injuring 35 others. Strikes also hit a cement factory in Bajil, roughly 34 miles northeast of the port city, as part of Israel’s broader military pressure on the Houthis.
A Pattern of Retaliation
The recent spate of attacks is part of a broader pattern of retaliation. Since 2023, the Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
While many of the group’s projectiles are intercepted, some have made it past Israel’s defense systems, including Sunday’s missile that landed near Ben Gurion Airport, injuring four and causing widespread flight disruptions.
In response, Israel has launched a series of precision strikes on Yemen, particularly targeting Hodeida and key infrastructure:
- July 2024: Israeli strikes followed a Houthi drone attack in Tel Aviv that killed one and wounded ten.
- September 2024: Israel hit Hodeida after a missile targeted Ben Gurion during Netanyahu’s return to Israel. Four were killed.
- December 2024: Another Israeli operation killed at least nine people in Hodeida.
Tuesday’s action extends that campaign further, this time dealing a major blow to Yemen’s civil aviation and energy grid.
US and Global Implications
The Houthi-Israel exchange also comes amid a wider regional standoff. The U.S. military, under President Donald Trump, has escalated airstrikes against Houthi targets since March 15, signaling a more aggressive posture in the region.
Yemen’s war-battered infrastructure and humanitarian crisis are expected to worsen as its capital loses access to international flights and power — pushing the country deeper into crisis.
With tensions high and Iran’s regional influence expanding through proxies like the Houthis, the strikes could pull more nations into the widening conflict.
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