SANA’A, (PIC)
Intensive Israeli airstrikes struck Yemen’s capital Sana’a and the northern city of Amran on Tuesday afternoon.
Local media reported thick black smoke rising over both Sana’a and Amran following the Israeli attacks. In Sana’a, the strikes hit Sana’a International Airport, the Dhahban power plant, and two alleged military sites.
In Amran, about 60 kilometers to the north of the capital, airstrikes reportedly targeted a cement factory.
The Israeli occupation army later said it had carried out the strikes, claiming it rendered the airport inoperable, and that another target, the cement factory in Amran, was used by Yemen’s Houthi (Ansarullah) group for military purposes.
Minutes before the strike, an Israeli army spokesperson issued a warning on social media platform X, urging people in the airport area to evacuate immediately.
The Israeli army said its strikes were in response to a missile launched by Houthis on Sunday at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. The missile caused four light injuries and some damage, according to Israel’s emergency services. Yemen’s armed forces, which are controlled by the Ansarullah group in northern Yemen, said the missile attack on the Israeli airport was in retaliation for the ongoing genocidal war on Gaza.
Tuesday’s airstrikes followed a series of Israeli attacks on Yemen’s Hodeida province a day earlier, which killed at least four people and wounded 39 others. The airstrikes hit the port city of Hodeida, its airport, a cement factory, and alleged military sites in the northeast of the city, causing significant infrastructure damage.
Yemen’s armed forces, which are labeled as “Houthis” by international media, have been targeting Israel since November 2023 in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians. The group always affirms that it will halt its counterattacks if the Israeli occupation regime ends its war and blockade on Gaza.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s armed forces have announced that air navigation at Israeli airports is no longer safe, stating that their missile strikes will continue as part of their support for the Palestinians in Gaza.
The Yemeni army’s Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) also announced in an official statement on Tuesday that the comprehensive blockade on Israeli airports came into effect as of May 4 in the evening, and would remain in place until further notice, in response to the Israeli military escalation in Gaza.
HOCC called on international airlines to suspend flights to and from Israeli airports, warning that they would bear full responsibility if they ignored this warning.
The statement stated that this measure is “based on the annexes of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), particularly Annex 19, which mandates reporting high-risk areas to ensure aviation safety.”
Meanwhile, the Yemeni government in Sana’a affirmed that Yemen is engaged in the battle of “Promised Victory and Sacred Jihad” against the Israeli, US, and British aggression.
The government emphasized that Yemen would remain an active player in this confrontation and continue to develop its military capabilities.
The government affirmed that Yemen’s support for Gaza would continue until the Israeli aggression stops and the siege is lifted, stressing that “its involvement in this battle stems from deep-seated and unwavering humanitarian and religious principles.”
It emphasized that its measures aim to protect civilians and international aviation, urging the international community to pressure Israel to end its war crimes in Gaza.
