Israeli air raids on Yemen kill at least 35, Houthi officials say

Sanaa: Israel launched another wave of intense airstrikes in Yemen on Wednesday, just days after Houthi militants carried out a drone attack that hit an Israeli airport.

According to the Houthi-run health ministry, at least 35 people were killed and more than 130 were injured in the strikes. Most of the casualties occurred in the capital, Sanaa, where a military headquarters and a fuel station were among the targets. Rescue teams continued to search through the rubble.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans to push for sanctions and a partial suspension of trade with Israel over the Gaza conflict, further deepening Israel’s global isolation. The move comes after Israel’s strike in US-allied Qatar on Tuesday, which targeted Hamas leaders.

Houthi-owned Al-Masirah TV reported that one of the strikes in Sanaa hit a military headquarters in the city centre and also damaged nearby homes, Arab News reported.

Israel has repeatedly carried out airstrikes in retaliation for missile and drone attacks launched by the Houthis. The Iran-backed group has claimed that its actions are meant to show solidarity with Hamas and the Palestinians in Gaza. On Sunday, a Houthi drone managed to penetrate Israel’s air defence systems and struck an airport in the country’s south.

The latest strikes in Yemen came after earlier Israeli attacks that killed the Houthi prime minister and other senior leaders, marking a significant escalation in the nearly two-year conflict between Israel and the group.

According to a spokesman for the Houthi-controlled Yemen Petroleum Company, one of Wednesday’s strikes hit a fuel station that supplies hospitals in the capital. Residents reported hearing powerful blasts in several parts of Sanaa, with flames and smoke rising into the sky.

Houthi media outlets also reported that Israeli strikes targeted a government building in Hazm, the capital of northern Jawf province. The group’s military spokesman stated that its forces attempted to counter the assault by firing surface-to-air missiles at Israeli jets.

The Houthi-backed president, Mahdi Al-Mashat, pledged to continue retaliatory attacks, warning that Israel should remain on alert as further responses were inevitable.