Sanaa (TDI): Israeli airstrikes pounded Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Sunday, killing at least six people and wounding 86 others, days after Houthi rebels launched what Israel said was their first cluster bomb missile since 2023.
Houthis reported multiple strikes across the city, including an oil company site where footage showed a massive fireball. Residents described powerful blasts near the presidential palace and a closed military academy.
The strikes came in response to repeated Houthi missile and drone launches toward Israel, including Friday’s attempted strike on Ben Gurion Airport. Israeli officials said the missile, equipped with cluster munitions, broke apart mid-air after interception attempts.
Read More: Israel Launches Airstrikes on Yemeni Ports
Despite the casualties, Houthi officials vowed to continue targeting Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Senior Houthi figure Abdul Qader al-Murtada declared, “We will not abandon our brothers in Gaza, whatever the sacrifices.”
Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, echoed the defiance, posting on X: “Our military operations supporting Gaza won’t stop unless the aggression is stopped and the siege is lifted.”
The strikes mark the latest escalation in more than a year of clashes between Israel and the Houthis, a spillover from the Gaza war that began in October 2023.
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Since then, the Houthis have regularly fired missiles toward Israel and attacked commercial vessels in the Red Sea, disrupting global shipping. Between November 2023 and December 2024, they targeted more than 100 ships with missiles and drones, before halting attacks during a brief Gaza ceasefire.
Israel has repeatedly retaliated with strikes on Houthi-held areas, including the key Hodeidah port and energy infrastructure. Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday’s raids showed the group was “paying a heavy price for its aggression,” while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the blockade and strikes.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight. He is a seasoned journalist and analyst with over a decade of experience in the media industry. He has deep expertise in national politics and international relations and regularly contributes as an analyst to national and international media outlets.
