Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, has confirmed that he is safe following an Israeli airstrike that targeted Sanaa airport in Yemen just as he was preparing to board a flight.
He reported that the attack inflicted damage on a departure lounge at the airport, which was “only a few meters from our location”.
“About two hours ago, as we were on the verge of boarding our flight from Sana’a, the airport was subjected to aerial bombardment,” Dr. Tedros stated.
He also mentioned that a crew member from his plane was injured in the incident, whereas at least two fatalities have been reported at the airport.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic attack,” Dr. Tedros expressed in a statement on social media.
Dr. Tedros was in Yemen alongside a WHO delegation, focusing on two critical missions: negotiating the release of UN personnel detained in the country and assessing Yemen’s health and humanitarian conditions.
Our mission to negotiate the release of @UN staff detainees and evaluate the health and humanitarian situation in #Yemen has concluded today. We maintain our call for the immediate release of the detainees.
As we were about to board our flight from Sana’a, about two hours ago, the airport… pic.twitter.com/riZayWHkvf
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 26, 2024
This incident occurs as Israel has targeted various locations associated with the Houthi movement in Yemen, including Sanaa International Airport, with Houthi media reporting at least six fatalities.
The Houthi-controlled Saba news agency indicated that three individuals were killed in the airport strikes, along with three others in Hodeidah. There were also reports of 40 additional injuries following the attacks.
Earlier, Israel’s military confirmed that it had targeted several Houthi-related sites in Yemen, including the airport and three ports.
Attacks have also affected Yemen’s Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations, along with military infrastructure in Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Kanatib ports, according to the Israeli military.
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Sanaa airport and the adjacent Al-Dailami base were targeted, along with a power station in Hodeidah, in strikes that the Houthis’ Al-Masirah TV channel termed as “Israeli aggression”.
A year of Houthi attacks has disrupted international shipping routes, forcing companies to reroute, resulting in longer and more costly journeys that have further escalated fears surrounding global inflation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a Channel 14 interview that the military campaign against the Houthis is just beginning. “We are merely starting with them,” he remarked.
Domestically, the Prime Minister has gained support for his military campaign against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and for dismantling most of the Syrian army’s strategic weaponry.
Smoke rises near Sanaa airport in Yemen following multiple air raids.
Israel has urged its diplomatic missions in Europe to advocate for the Houthi movement to be classified as a terrorist organization.
The UN Security Council is expected to convene on Monday to discuss the Houthi attacks targeting Israel, as reported by Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon yesterday.
The Israeli military announced that it had targeted Houthi “military installations” in Yemen, accusing the militia of being central to the “Iranian axis of terror”.
In a statement, the Israeli air force confirmed that “jets conducted intelligence-based strikes on military targets affiliated with the Houthi terrorist regime along Yemen’s western coast and inland” as a response to Houthi hostilities against Israel.
The spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced the escalating tensions between Israel and Yemen, highlighting that the airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport, Red Sea ports, and power stations are alarming.
Following Thursday’s Israeli strikes targeting various sites linked to the Iran-affiliated Houthi movement in Yemen, which resulted in reports of at least six fatalities, the spokesperson remarked: “Israeli airstrikes today on Sanaa International Airport, the Red Sea ports and power stations in Yemen raise significant concerns.” This was discussed in a press briefing amid worries about a potential increase in regional hostilities.
Smoke billows after Israeli airstrikes on a power station in Yemen.
On Saturday, a Houthi missile assault injured 16 individuals in Tel Aviv.
This incident prompted a warning from Prime Minister Netanyahu, who stated that he had instructed the destruction of Houthi infrastructure.
Read more: Latest updates from the Middle East.
“I have directed our forces to dismantle Houthi infrastructure, as anyone attempting to harm us will face our full force,” Netanyahu declared in parliament.
“We will persist in dismantling the forces of evil with strength and ingenuity, even if it requires time,” he affirmed.
Since the onset of the war in Gaza in October of last year, the Houthis have launched several missiles and drones at Israel, claiming to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
