Sanaa, Yemen: WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and other UN staff were at Yemen’s Sanaa airport when Israeli air strikes hit, killing at least six people.
Tedros said they were about to board a plane when the strikes occurred and stated that, the damage to the airport would delay their departure, adding that the air traffic control tower, departure lounge, and runway were affected.
Tedros was in Yemen to negotiate the release of detained UN staff and assess the health situation in the country but provided no further details on the detainees.
Three people were killed and 30 injured at the airport, while additional attacks in Hodeidah province resulted in three more deaths and 10 injuries. Israel’s military claimed the strikes targeted “military infrastructure,” including the airport, power stations, and ports.
Our mission to negotiate the release of @UN staff detainees and to assess the health and humanitarian situation in #Yemen concluded today. We continue to call for the detainees' immediate release.
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
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern over the escalating situation, calling the strikes “especially alarming.”
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) described the airstrikes as targeting military assets tied to the Houthi regime, specifically in western Yemen.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue targeting the Houthis, calling it part of an effort to dismantle what he referred to as the “terror arm” of the Iranian axis.
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthi Supreme Revolutionary Committee, condemned the strikes as “barbaric” and stated that the group would continue confronting Israel and the US until the Gaza conflict ceases.
The Houthis have been involved in hostilities with Israel since October 2023, including missile strikes that injured people in Israel. In retaliation, Israel has carried out intermittent airstrikes against Houthi targets.
Iran condemned the strikes as a “clear violation of international peace and security,” further highlighting the ongoing tensions in the region. Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have controlled large parts of western Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, since ousting the internationally recognized government in 2015.
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