Tel Aviv (BN24) – Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Sunday, killing six people and wounding 86, according to a spokesperson for the Houthi-controlled Health Ministry.
The strikes targeted a military compound housing the presidential palace, two power plants and a fuel storage facility, the Israeli military said. Israel described the operation as retaliation for recent Houthi missile and drone attacks launched toward its territory.
“The strikes were conducted in response to repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel and its civilians, including the launching of surface-to-surface missiles and UAVs toward Israeli territory in recent days,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
On Friday, Houthi officials said they fired a ballistic missile at Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza. An Israeli Air Force official said Sunday the missile appeared to carry multiple sub-munitions designed to detonate on impact, marking the first reported launch of this type of weapon from Yemen.
The escalation is part of more than a year of cross-border attacks between Israel and Houthi forces, an extension of the war in Gaza that began in October 2023 between Israel and Hamas. Since then, the Iran-aligned Houthis have attacked commercial vessels in the Red Sea and launched missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted.
Israel has previously carried out airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas, including the Red Sea port of Hodeidah.
Abdul Qader al-Murtada, a senior Houthi official, said Sunday the group would continue operations in what it described as solidarity with Palestinians. “(Israel) must know that we will not abandon our brothers in Gaza, whatever the sacrifices,” he wrote on X.
