Israeli airstrikes on Yemen kill 35 people and injure over 100

Israeli airstrikes rocked Houthi targets of Yemen, including Sanaa and Al Jawf governorate, killing 35 people and injuring 131, as reported by The National via Reuters on September 10th.

The Israeli military says it targeted a fuel depot, military camps, the public relations HQ of the Houthis, while Brig Gen Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, said the attack was targeting civilian infrastructure including media offices.

Brig Gen Saree, said: “Our air defences were able to launch a number of surface-to-air missiles while confronting the [Israeli] aggression against our country. Some combat formations were forced to leave before carrying out their aggression, and the bulk of the attack was thwarted.”

This attack is the latest in a pattern of reciprocal attacks between Israel and the Houthis. On June 10th, Israel struck the port of Hodeida, and suggested the port was being used by Houthis to transfer arms.

On August 31st, in the wake of the killing of Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, at least 11 UN staff members were detained by Houthi forces during raids on UN offices, following the killing of other senior officials being confirmed. The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the detentions as arbitrary.

According to The Washington Post on September 5th, the airstrikes have damaged infrastructure vital to medical care and have worsened an already dire public health situation. Cholera and other disease outbreaks are reportedly increasing due to damage to water, sanitation, and medical facilities.

AP reported on September 10th that the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said she will look into possible sanctions and a partial trade suspension on Israel in response to the Gaza war, amid attacks on Yemen.