Israel attacks Yemeni capital Sanaa, causing over 90 casualties

Israel bombed Yemen’s capital of Sanaa on August 24th in reaction to Houthi missiles fired towards Israel, according to Asharq Al-Awsat via Reuters.

A Houthi health official said that the attack killed six people and wounded 86. The strikes mark the latest exchange in more than a year of direct attacks between Israel and  Yemen’s Houthi militants, a spillover effect of the Gaza War. The Israeli military said it struck a military compound that included the presidential palace, along with two power plants and a fuel depot. 

The Israeli military said in a statement: “The strikes were conducted in response to repeated attacks by the Houthi terrorist regime against the State of Israel and its civilians, including the launching of surface-to-surface missiles and UAVs toward Israeli territory in recent days.” 

Meanwhile, on August 22nd, the Houthis claimed they had fired a ballistic missile at Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza. An Israeli Air Force official said on August 24th that the missile likely carried multiple sub-munitions “designed to detonate on impact”.  

“This is the first time that this kind of missile has been launched from Yemen,” the official said.

Since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023, Yemen’s Houthis, backed by Iran, have targeted ships in the Red Sea, calling the attacks acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.

The Houthis have also repeatedly launched missiles at Israel, which were mainly intercepted, such as a missile strike on Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

In response, Israel has struck Houthi-held areas of Yemen, including the strategic Hodeida port on July 21st. 

On August 24th, a senior Houthi official, Abdul Qader al-Murtada, vowed that the group would continue supporting Palestinians in Gaza. He wrote on X: “(Israel) must know that we will not abandon our brothers in Gaza, whatever the sacrifices.”

 Asharq Al-Awsat via Reuters, Maghrebi.org