In a shocking escalation of tensions in the Middle East, Israel launched a series of blistering airstrikes on targets in Yemen on Thursday, including the international airport in the capital Sana’a where the head of the World Health Organization happened to be present. The bombings, which the Israeli military said targeted Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, killed at least six people and threatened to draw more parties into the regional conflict.
The chief of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, narrowly escaped the attack on Sana’a airport where he was in Yemen to negotiate freeing detained UN staff and assess the dire humanitarian crisis. In addition to at least two deaths there, a crew member on Tedros’ plane was injured in the strike.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was defiant about the surprise offensive, declaring that the bombings, which also hit rebel-controlled ports and power stations, would persist.
“We are determined to cut this branch of terrorism from the Iranian axis of evil… The airstrikes will continue until the job is done.”
Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels quickly responded to the Israeli assault, raising the specter of a spiraling tit-for-tat escalation in violence. The group, which runs large swathes of Yemen and has long rejected Israel’s right to exist, released an ominous statement just hours after the first bombs fell.
“The Houthis are ready to respond quickly and meet escalation with escalation.”
Statement from Houthi rebels
International Condemnation and Fears of Wider War
The sudden outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Yemen’s Houthis provoked international alarm and condemnation.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres denounced the “escalation” and said the targeting of a civilian airport was “especially alarming”. The UN Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting for Monday to address the crisis.
Repeated Houthi missile strikes on Israel in recent weeks and Israel’s massive retaliation now raise the risk of a broader regional conflagration at a time when Yemen is already mired in a devastating humanitarian disaster following years of civil war.
Spillover in Gaza
In an apparent spillover from the fighting, dozens of ailing patients had to be evacuated from a hospital in the Gaza Strip near the Israeli border. The Israeli army forced the civilians to leave the medical center in Beit Lahiya, according to Al Jazeera, though Israel has not confirmed its troops actions there yet.
Worsening Yemen’s Woes
After eight years of civil war and the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, Yemen can scarcely afford a major new conflict. Over 150,000 have died in the fighting and associated famine and disease, UNICEF estimates, while millions are on the brink of starvation.
Will Israel’s Gambit Pay Off?
Despite the risks, Netanyahu is betting the daring offensive against Iran’s Yemeni allies will shore up his hardline credentials and deliver an embarrassing blow to Tehran’s regional ambitions. However, should the attacks backfire and unleash a wave of reprisal strikes, Israel could find itself enmeshed in a Yemeni quagmire it didn’t bargain for.
As the Middle East holds its breath, much depends on how far the Houthis and their Iranian backers are willing to go to avenge what they view as unacceptable Zionist aggression. The coming days will be decisive in determining whether Netanyahu’s dramatic gamble pays off or just pours more fuel on the region’s endless conflicts.
