Israel Targets Houthi Rebels In Fresh Yemen Airstrikes
Israel, on Wednesday, carried out a new round of airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, hitting a fuel station in Sanaa and a government facility in Jawf province, Yemeni officials said.
The rebel group spokesman Essam al-Mutawakel said the strike hit a station supplying fuel to hospitals, while Houthi media claimed another Israeli strike targeted a government site in Hazm, Jawf’s capital.
Houthi fighters responded with surface-to-air missiles, military wing spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said.
The attacks came as Israel faced growing international backlash over its recent offensive in Gaza.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans for sanctions and a partial trade suspension over the war, along with a freeze on EU bilateral payments to Israel.
“Man-made famine can never be a weapon of war,” she told lawmakers in Strasbourg, citing rising malnutrition deaths in Gaza.
Israel has struck the Houthis repeatedly in response to the group’s missile and drone launches in solidarity with Hamas.
Earlier this week, a Houthi drone breached Israel’s defences and struck its southern airport. Previous Israeli strikes reportedly killed the Houthis’ prime minister and other senior figures.
The regional conflict escalated further with Israel’s strike in Qatar on Tuesday, targeting Hamas leaders. The strike was immediately condemned across the Middle East. Hamas said its senior figures survived but confirmed the deaths of several aides and bodyguards.
Inside Gaza, Israel has ordered about one million residents to evacuate Gaza City as it intensifies bombardments. Many have refused to leave, citing the absence of safe zones.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 64,600 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, with women and children making up about half of the number. AP reports that at least 126, including 26 children, have died from malnutrition since famine was declared in late August.
However, Israel has continually maintained it allows in sufficient aid into the region, blaming Hamas for civilian deaths, accusing the group of operating from populated areas.
Large parts of Gaza have been reduced to rubble, with nearly 90% of its 2 million people displaced.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 251. Israeli officials say 48 hostages remain in Gaza while about 20 are believed to be alive.
Israel Targets Houthi Rebels In Fresh Yemen Airstrikes is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
