Israel pummels Sanaa airport in strikes on Houthis as US denies involvement

Israeli fighter jets launched a series of airstrikes in Yemen’s capital Sanaa targeting Houthi infrastructure at the city’s lone airport, less than a day after similar strikes in the port city of Hodeidah.

Yemeni news agency SABA cited a local source as saying that the attack, which it described as “US-Israeli aggression,” targeted the Sanaa International Airport, the Dhahaban power station in the Bani al-Harith district in the north of Sanaa and the Attan area.

"US forces did not participate in the Israeli strikes on Yemen today," a US defense official told Al-Monitor. Separately, a US official speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity also said US forces were not involved, but noted that there is coordination between the two countries.

On social media, users reported that more than 20 airstrikes were heard in the airport area and some claimed that the airport’s entire terminal and planes have been destroyed.

The Israeli military confirmed the strikes, saying its fighter jets “attacked terrorist targets of the Houthi terrorist regime in Yemen.”

In a statement, the military said it destroyed Houthi infrastructure in the airport area, explaining, “The airport, similar to the port of Hodeidah, which was attacked last night, is used by the Houthi terrorist organization to transfer weapons and operatives, and is regularly operated by the Houthi regime for terrorist purposes.”

The military stated that a concrete factory in the north of Sanaa and several central power stations in the capital area that were used by the Houthis “for terrorist purposes” were also struck.

The Houthi group has yet to comment on the strikes. 

Earlier on Tuesday, the Israeli military issued a call to evacuate the Sanaa international airport area.

“Urgent warning to everyone in the vicinity of Sanaa international airport: We urge you to evacuate the airport area immediately and to warn others nearby to do the same and stay away from the area,” The Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, wrote in a post on X.

Tuesday’s attack comes one day after a series of Israeli air raids struck the Red Sea port of Hodeidah and its environs late on Monday in response to a Houthi strike on Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.

Yemeni reports said Monday’s strikes hit the Bajil cement factory and the strategic port. According to a statement by the Yemeni Health Ministry on Tuesday, at least 43 people were killed and injured in the attacks, which the Houthis described as a joint US-Israeli raid. 

The Israeli military confirmed the strikes and said it also struck near Hodeidah, stating, “The Bajil cement factory east of Hodeidah, which serves as an important economic resource of the Houthi terror regime and also for the construction of tunnels and military infrastructure, was also attacked."

The Houthi group launched a missile at the Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning. Israel's air defense systems failed to intercept it due to what the military said was a technical malfunction. The missile landed in an open area near the airport. Six people were injured by the blast's shockwaves and while running to shelter. No damage was reported to airport infrastructure.

Dozens of international airlines have suspended their flights to Israel until at least Thursday, with Israeli airlines adding flights to help bring home Israelis stranded abroad.

Following Sunday's airport strike, the Houthi group said it would “impose a comprehensive air blockade” on Israel by continuing to target Israeli airports.

The Iran-backed Houthis have carried out numerous missile and drone attacks against what it says are Israeli-linked vessels passing through the vital Red Sea and Gulf of Aden maritime routes since November 2023 in support of the Palestinian Hamas group, which has been engaged in a devastating war with Israel in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.

The group has simultaneously launched several attacks at Israel, mainly targeting the southern city of Eilat.

Israel has responded to these attacks, launching six airstrikes in Yemen since July 2024. The United States has also carried out a number of direct airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

Rina Bassist and Rosaleen Carroll contributed to this report.