Egypt Daily News – Israel once again bombed Sana’a International Airport, causing the “complete destruction” of the last remaining operational aircraft at the airport, according to Yemeni and Israeli sources. The strike was carried out in response to ongoing Houthi attacks on Israel.
The Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted the airport in the Yemeni capital Sana’a on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. Hours later, Khaled Al-Shaif, the airport’s director general, posted a video on his X account showing a Yemenia Airways aircraft engulfed in flames, with thick black smoke rising from it.
In another post, Al-Shaif wrote that Israel targeted “the last remaining Yemenia Airways plane operating at Sana’a International Airport and completely destroyed it.” Yemenia Airways condemned the attack in a statement on X, noting that it occurred “just moments” before pilgrims were scheduled to board the plane as part of a planned Hajj flight that had received all necessary permits.
Before the strike, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced in a statement that Israeli Air Force jets had bombed “terrorist targets belonging to the Houthi terrorist organization at Sana’a Airport, destroying the last aircraft still in use by the Houthis.”
Katz added that “Yemen’s ports will continue to suffer serious damage, and Sana’a Airport will be repeatedly destroyed, along with other strategic infrastructure in the area used by the Houthi terrorist organization and its backers. The Houthi terrorist group will face a naval and air blockade, just as we promised and warned.”
The strike came a day after the Israeli military announced that it had intercepted a missile and a projectile launched from Yemen, in addition to downing another missile on Sunday and two more on Thursday. The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for recent attacks targeting Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, condemned the “ongoing military confrontation between Ansar Allah and Israel,” saying it “exacerbates the already fragile situation in Yemen and the region.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office also released a statement: “We operate according to a simple principle: if harm is done to us, we will cause harm in return. If this is not understood through force, it will be understood through greater force. But as I’ve said repeatedly, the Houthis are only a symptom. The main force behind them is Iran, which is responsible for the aggression coming from Yemen.” Iran continues to deny supplying weapons to the Houthis.
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted a statement in Arabic on X, saying that Wednesday’s strikes targeted “aerial assets of the Houthi terrorist regime” used to “transport terrorists for attacks against the State of Israel.” He added, “Just like the ports of Hodeidah and Al-Salif that were targeted last week, Sana’a Airport is being consistently used by the Houthi terrorist regime for terrorist purposes.”
Grundberg warned that the airstrike on Sana’a Airport “deprives many Yemenis of a vital means of travel for medical, educational, family, or religious purposes especially as thousands prepare to travel for Hajj.”
Yemeni Government Blames Houthis for Aircraft Destruction
The internationally recognized Yemeni government placed full blame on the Houthi group for the destruction of Yemenia Airways aircraft at Sana’a Airport. The government said it had repeatedly warned the group to move the planes to Aden or another external airport for safety.
Yemeni Minister of Information Moammar Al-Eryani stated on Wednesday, “Despite three planes being previously targeted, the Houthi militia refused to comply with Yemenia’s request to remove the last remaining aircraft, which has now been destroyed.”
Al-Eryani noted that the total market value of the four destroyed aircraft is now estimated at $130 million. “This is a devastating loss for a national airline and for a people exhausted by a war started by the Houthi militia,” he said. “What’s happening is not negligence, but a deliberate crime. The militia is determined to reduce what’s left of Yemen’s resources to ashes and continues to use state institutions, airports, and ports to serve Iran’s agenda.”
He added, “Because of this group, Yemen has become a battlefield for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Their experts are launching missiles from the heart of Sana’a, while the Yemeni people pay the price in blood and destruction.” Al-Eryani emphasized that “the presence of this militia in the capital poses a grave danger to what remains of the nation.”
Earlier, the last Yemenia Airways plane at Sana’a Airport was destroyed in the Israeli airstrikes that targeted both the aircraft and the runway. Sana’a Airport is the only air gateway for Yemenis in areas controlled by the Houthis, and it operates limited flights to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan.
