Israeli air strikes hit Yemen’s Sanaa airport, wounding UN crew member

A series of Israeli airstrikes targeted Yemen’s main international airport in Sanaa on Thursday, causing significant damage just as World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and his team were preparing to board a flight. The attack, which struck mere meters from the UN delegation, resulted in the injury of one crew member and caused widespread damage to the airport’s infrastructure.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tedros described the harrowing experience, noting that the airport’s air traffic control tower, the departure lounge, and the runway were all damaged in the aerial bombardment. “As we were about to board our flight from Sanaa, the airport came under aerial bombardment,” Tedros wrote, adding that the crew member’s injury was the only reported casualty among his team. He confirmed that he and his colleagues were unharmed.

According to the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency, the strikes killed at least six people—three at the airport and three more in the port city of Hodeidah. Additionally, 40 individuals were reportedly wounded in the Israeli attacks. There was no immediate comment from Israel regarding the strike.

The Israeli military confirmed that it had targeted infrastructure used by the Houthi rebels at Sanaa’s international airport, as well as power stations and ports. Israel claims these sites were used for smuggling Iranian weapons and the entry of senior Iranian officials, accusing the Houthis of acting as proxies for Tehran. The Houthis, in turn, have frequently fired drones and missiles toward Israel in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo, reporting from the UN headquarters in New York, said that the WHO delegation was evacuated shortly after the bombing. “The UN tells us all of their staff are accounted for. But make no mistake about it, this was a very close call,” Elizondo reported.

A UN spokesperson, Stephanie Tremblay, reiterated the organization’s concern for humanitarian workers’ safety. “The secretary-general emphasises that international law, including humanitarian law as applicable, must be respected at all times, and he appeals to all to respect and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure,” she stated.

The strike on Sanaa’s airport highlights the continued volatility in Yemen, where the Houthis, backed by Iran, have been engaged in a prolonged conflict with the internationally recognized government, supported by a Saudi-led coalition