Israel has launched a series of airstrikes on Yemen, killing at least nine people and wounding more than 100 in the capital Sanaa and al-Jawf governorate, officials in Yemen said Wednesday. The strikes come just a day after Israeli warplanes targeted Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar.
Yemen’s Ministry of Health described the toll as preliminary, cautioning that numbers could rise as rescue teams search through rubble and fires sparked by the bombing. Officials said the raids hit civilian and residential sites, including homes in Sanaa’s al-Tahrir neighbourhood, a medical facility on 60th Street, and a government compound in al-Jawf’s capital, al-Hazm.
The Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported casualties and widespread damage, saying Israeli strikes hit a medical facility for health workers and the Moral Guidance Headquarters. Civil defence teams are working to recover victims and control blazes caused by the bombardment.
Houthi forces claimed they responded with surface-to-air missiles, forcing several Israeli aircraft to retreat before releasing their payloads. “Some combat formations were forced to leave before carrying out their aggression, and the bulk of the attack was thwarted,” the group said on Telegram.
Israel’s military confirmed responsibility, describing the targets as “military sites belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime.” According to an IDF statement, the strikes destroyed military camps, the Houthis’ public relations headquarters, and a fuel storage facility.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation was retaliation for a Houthi drone attack on Ramon Airport in Israel earlier this week. “We struck them again from the air today, at their terror facilities, at terror bases with a great many terrorists, and also at other facilities,” he posted on X. “Anyone who strikes us, anyone who attacks us – we will reach them.”
The strikes mark a widening of Israel’s confrontation beyond its ongoing war in Gaza and clashes with Hezbollah in Lebanon, pulling Yemen into the escalation. The Houthis, aligned with Iran and already active in the Red Sea conflict, have increasingly targeted Israeli-linked assets.
The violence raises fears of further instability in Yemen, a nation already shattered by years of civil war and a deep humanitarian crisis. Analysts warn the latest Israeli attacks could fuel regional tensions at a time when multiple conflicts across the Middle East are already intertwined.