Israel has carried out a heavy airstrike on the Yemeni capital Sanaa, Israeli and Yemeni officials confirmed, in a fresh escalation of the conflict in the region as the war in Gaza continues.
The strikes came after the Houthi group earlier said it had fired missiles at Israel to pressure it to stop its atrocities in Gaza.
The Houthi-backed Al Masirah TV said the strikes targeted a fuel station and a power plant in Sanaa, while the Israeli government said the main target was the presidential palace, which it described as a “military site.” Images from the scene showed thick black smoke billowing into the sky and large fires from the explosions.
At least six people were killed and 86 others wounded in the strikes, Al Masirah TV reported. The strikes followed a rocket attack on Israel by the Houthis two days ago, part of a campaign they say is to defend the Palestinian people.
The Israeli military said the strikes on Sanaa were in response to “severe attacks by the Houthi group from Yemeni territory.” But Houthi officials denied the claim, accusing Israel of deliberately targeting vital infrastructure for the Yemeni people.
According to a Houthi defense ministry official, the presidential palace that was bombed “was already vacated years ago,” which he described as further evidence that Israel is not targeting military targets. “What they are doing is atrocious acts against civilians,” the official said.
The Houthi group has insisted that the Israeli strikes will not stop their support for Gaza. “Israel believes that it can stop supporting Gaza, but the matter is decided for us, and between us is heaven or hell.”
The Houthi-led government, known as the Government of Change and New Development, has called the Israeli strikes “a war crime against the Yemeni people,” accusing them of seeking to create a false image of victory that will only be presented with smoke rising from the sky. “These attacks prove that Israel, with the support of the United States, is waging a blatant war against the Arab and Muslim nations,” the Sanaa government statement said.
Hamas also condemned the Yemeni airstrikes, calling them “a clear violation of Arab sovereignty and international law.
” Hamas praised the Houthis’ stance, calling on all Arab and Muslim countries to unite their efforts against Israel and its Gaza massacre.
The new attack comes as Israel has been targeting Yemen’s ports and power plants in recent months, and follows previous Israeli strikes on a power plant near Sanaa.
The Houthis have threatened to continue their rocket and drone attacks until the Gaza massacre is stopped and the blockade is lifted.
