Israeli air strikes have reportedly destroyed the last operational plane at the international airport in rebel-held Sanaa, Yemen, according to both Israeli authorities and a Yemeni official. This development follows a prior attack that had already caused significant damage to the airport’s facilities.
Multiple strikes targeted a Yemenia Airways aircraft and the runway, with the Houthi rebels’ Al-Masirah TV channel condemning the operation as “Israeli aggression.” A video shared by Sanaa airport director Khaled al-Shaief depicted thick black smoke billowing from the damaged plane, which was the last of its kind still in operation for Yemenia.
Limited commercial flights had resumed at the airport on May 17, only to be interrupted when Israeli forces launched an attack that destroyed six planes just days earlier. The Houthis, expressing solidarity with the Palestinians, have been targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping lanes amid ongoing conflict in Gaza, which prompted retaliatory actions from both Israel and allied forces from the United States and Britain.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that fighter jets struck Houthi “terror targets” located at the Sanaa airport, coinciding with the Houthi launch of two projectiles aimed at Israel. Katz stated in a release that the air strikes successfully eliminated the last remaining aircraft, which had been allegedly utilized by the Houthis to transport individuals involved in terrorist activities against Israel.
The impacted Yemenia flight was reportedly preparing to carry Muslim pilgrims to the annual hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. As tensions escalated, the Houthis intensified their attacks on maritime vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden beginning in November 2023, shortly after the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted. This prompted robust military responses from British and US forces starting in January 2024.
Earlier this month, the United States had negotiated a ceasefire with the Houthis that concluded a series of intense American strikes against rebel positions. Nonetheless, the Houthis have continued to launch attacks on Israel, including several directed at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, which led to Israeli warnings of targeting Houthi leadership.
United Nations special envoy Hans Grundberg expressed concerns that clashes between the Houthis and Israel further exacerbate the fragile situation in Yemen and the broader region. The Houthis had previously paused their offensive operations during a two-month ceasefire related to the conflict in Gaza, which fell apart in March.
The ongoing hostilities come amid a protracted civil war that has devastated Yemen since 2015, resulting in a staggering humanitarian crisis and hundreds of thousands of casualties. Although fighting has subsided somewhat since a UN-negotiated truce in 2022, the conflict remains unresolved, with the airport being closed for six years before reopening to limited commercial flights to and from Amman, Jordan.
