BANDUNG, SEATIZENS – On Wednesday, May 28th, Israel launched an airstrike on Yemen’s main airport in Sana’a. The strike destroyed a Yemenia Airways aircraft that was heading to Saudi Arabia with pilgrims. Houthi rebels, who control parts of Yemen, fired two projectiles toward Israel a day before the airstrike.Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV reported that four Israeli airstrikes hit the runway of Sana’a Airport.
Khaled al-Shaief, Director General of Sana’a International Airport, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the strikes completely destroyed Yemenia Airways’ only remaining civilian aircraft at the airport. Flight data analyzed by Al Jazeera shows that the Yemenia aircraft was scheduled to carry pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
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It is still unclear if anyone was injured or killed in the attack. Sana’a Airport is Yemen’s largest airport and only recently reopened after repairs and runway restoration following earlier Israeli strikes. During Yemen’s civil war, the airport was used by United Nations flights. Yemenia Airways was one of the few airlines still operating from there.
Israeli Military Response and Statements
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the Israeli Air Force targeted “terrorist” Houthi sites at the airport. He said they destroyed the last remaining aircraft.
Katz stated, “This is a clear message and continuation of our policy: anyone who attacks Israel will pay a high price. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would respond with greater force to any attack. He added that Houthi is only a symptom of the larger problem, Iran. Iran is responsible for backing the aggression from Yemen.
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Al Houthi responded that their attack was meant to pressure Israel. He emphasized their strong support for Palestinians suffering from Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Al Houthi said, “No matter how frequent or intense the Israeli attacks, they will not weaken our support for Palestine.” He also accused Israel of trying to restore its power through repeated strikes on civilian facilities in Yemen.
(Seatizens)
