Israel Claims to Have Fully Disabled Yemen’s Main Airport in Escalating Strikes on Houthi Rebels

Israel has intensified its military campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, announcing Tuesday that it has “fully” disabled the main airport in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, following a series of targeted airstrikes.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said fighter jets carried out precision strikes on multiple Houthi-linked sites, including Sanaa International Airport, key power stations, and a concrete plant. “A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck and dismantled Houthi terrorist infrastructure at the main airport in Sanaa, fully disabling the airport,” the military said in a statement.

According to Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Ministry of Health, at least one person was killed and three others injured in the airport attack.

The IDF reported that the operation “dismantled” the airport’s infrastructure within 15 minutes. The strikes also targeted several major power facilities in the Sanaa area, compounding the damage.

In a rare move, the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning ahead of the strikes, advising civilians to leave the international airport—marking the first such public warning by Israel in Yemen, located over 1,000 miles from Israeli territory.

Houthi Leader Vows Retaliation

Houthi leader Mohammed al-Bukhaiti warned Israel of impending counterattacks. Speaking to Al Arabiya TV, he declared: “We will meet escalation with escalation. There are still multiple sensitive targets within the Zionist entity, and striking them will inflict heavy losses.”

The latest attacks signal a sharp escalation in the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Houthis, whose involvement has intensified in recent days.

On Sunday, the Houthis successfully launched a ballistic missile that penetrated Israel’s air defenses and struck near Ben Gurion International Airport after several failed interception attempts, the IDF confirmed. This marks the first time Israel’s primary international airport has been directly hit by the group.

The Houthis claimed responsibility, stating the attack was retaliation for Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza. They threatened to “impose a comprehensive air blockade” on Israel by “continuously targeting airports,” and urged international airlines to suspend all flights to Israeli airports.

Israel Pledges Ongoing Military Response

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed continued retaliation. “We acted before, we will act again. I can’t elaborate on everything. The US, in coordination with us, is also acting against them. It’s not ‘one and done’—but there will be more strikes,” Netanyahu said in a video posted Sunday.

In a subsequent post on X (formerly Twitter), Netanyahu warned Iran directly: “Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters.”

Israel’s military response began Monday, targeting Yemen’s key port city of Hodeidah. IDF forces struck the port and a nearby cement factory, killing at least one person and injuring 35 others, according to the Houthi-run Ministry of Health.

The IDF confirmed that 20 fighter jets were involved in Monday’s strikes, hitting “dozens of Houthi targets” across Hodeidah and its surroundings. Houthi media outlet Al-Masirah reported the port was struck at least six times, and confirmed the attack on the cement plant.

Israel’s military accused the Hodeidah port of being a hub for transferring Iranian weapons, military equipment, and other supplies for Houthi operations.

Tuesday’s airstrikes mark the second time Israel has targeted Sanaa International Airport in recent months. In December, Israeli strikes on the airport killed at least three people and injured 30 others, according to Al-Masirah satellite television.