Israeli warplanes struck Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, late Tuesday in a new escalation of hostilities with the Houthi movement, according to the group’s media arm and local officials, reported by Arab News.
Al-Masirah TV, run by the Iran-aligned Houthis, reported “Israeli aggression on the capital Sanaa,” as explosions echoed across the city, confirmed by an AFP correspondent on the ground.
Reuters cited sources saying the strikes targeted the Houthi-controlled Ministry of Defense. Yemen’s Health Ministry spokesman, Anees al-Asbahi, and Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree both confirmed the attacks on Wednesday. Casualty figures were not immediately available.
The strikes mark the latest in a series of Israeli operations against the Houthis, who have launched drones and ballistic missiles toward Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza war nearly a year ago. The Houthis frame their campaign as an act of solidarity with Hamas and the Palestinians in Gaza, where Israeli bombardments continue.
Israel has vowed to retaliate against any regional actors that open new fronts against it, and has previously carried out air raids on Houthi positions in Yemen. Tuesday’s assault underscores the widening scope of the conflict, which now stretches from Gaza to the Red Sea and beyond.
