UN Health Chief Caught in Crossfire as Israeli Strikes Hit Yemen Airport

UN Health Chief Caught in Crossfire as Israeli Strikes Hit Yemen Airport

A devastating air campaign by Israel hit Yemen's international airport in Sanaa on Thursday, drawing in UN health chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who narrowly escaped injury.

Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes at the airport terminal, with air traffic control tower and departure lounge damaged just metres from where Dr. Tedros was standing before the blasts.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr. Tedros, reported that he and other UN staff were on their way to board a plane when the strikes began. Fortunately, he emerged unharmed.

However, the exact toll of the attacks is still unclear, with reports suggesting at least six people killed and many more injured. The Yemeni rebel group Houthi described the Israeli strikes as "barbaric", while Israel's military insisted that its targeted operation on supposed military targets was a legitimate response to its terrorist threats.

Israel confirmed it had conducted raids on Sanaa airport, power stations and ports in western Yemen, claiming to have hit Iranian-backed militant positions.

"Houthi terrorist regime" has been Israel's official term for the group controlling Yemen since October 2022