The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it intercepted a missile apparently launched by Houthi forces in Yemen at dawn on December 27, after air raid sirens sounded across central Israel. Sheet The Times of Israel Citing information from emergency services in Israel, 18 people were slightly injured when they ran to a shelter. Meanwhile, Ben Gurion Airport southeast of Tel Aviv temporarily stopped accepting incoming flights for 30 minutes. Houthi forces in Yemen have not commented on the attack.
Israel was accused of airstrikes that killed five Palestinian journalists
Previously on December 26, Israel struck many Houthi targets in Yemen, including Sanaa International Airport. In addition to this airport, the IDF also attacked military infrastructure at the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Kanatib on Yemen’s west coast. The Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power plants in Yemen were also among the airstrike targets. World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was about to board a plane at Sanaa International Airport when the attack occurred, injuring a crew member. He said he stood just a few meters away from the area affected by the raid. According to AFP, Mr. Tedros came to Yemen to negotiate the release of detained UN staff and the humanitarian situation here.
A building at Sanaa International Airport was damaged by an Israeli airstrike on December 26
The Houthi-controlled Saba news agency said three people were killed in the attack on the airport and three people were killed in Hodeidah, in addition to 40 people injured. The Houthis declared their readiness to react quickly to the attack and respond “with escalation”. In an interview with Channel 14, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “we are just starting with them”, and said the raids will continue until “the job is done”. “We are determined to cut this terrorist branch from Iran’s criminal axis,” he declared.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres described the above Israeli airstrike as “especially alarming”, after “a year of escalating actions by the Houthis”. An anonymous US official said Washington supports Tel Aviv’s right to self-defense, but Israeli operations must commit to protecting civilians.
Previously, on December 21, the Israeli army failed to block a missile launched from Yemen to the Tel Aviv – Jaffa area, an incident that injured 14 people. Respond to newspaper interviews The Times of Israel On December 24, an Israeli official said: “When there is a ceasefire in Lebanon and less intense fighting in Gaza, we have the opportunity to shift attention and resources to the Yemen front, the Houthi front… When the time comes, we will definitely make the Houthi forces pay the price,” according to the official.
