The air of West Asia is already hot with the attacks and counter-attacks between Israel and the Axis of Evil (Hamas, Hezbollah, Houtis and Iran). After almost dismantling Hamas and Hezbollah, Israel vowed to take down Houthis, a militant organization active in Yemen, supported by Iran. In a recent set of attacks, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) unleashed a series of airstrikes on the capital city, Sanaa and the Hodeidah. The attack which killed at least six people and injured thirty, almost took out the WHO chief as well.
The series of air strikes on Yemen hit “military targets” held by the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group. The strikes were launched because the Houthis were repeatedly attacking Israel with missiles. From 21 December to 24 December, Houthis struck Israel with a ballistic missile, which landed in a playground in Jaffa, south of Tel Aviv, with 16 people injured by glass shards. Drones and projectiles were also launched from Yemen towards Tel Aviv, which Israeli forces intercepted and destroyed. This was a serious escalation from the Houthis side during Christmas week.
During the attack on Sanaa’s airport by Israeli Airforce, a “high-level UN delegation,” led by World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, was about to fly out of the city.
WHO chief Ghebreyesus said he and a UN team were about to get on a plane when the airport came under bombardment.
“As we were about to board our flight from Sanaa… the airport came under aerial bombardment. One of our plane’s crew members was injured,” Ghebreyesus said in a statement.
According to Ghebreyesus, one crew member from the UN team was injured. On Friday, the WHO chief said that the delegation later evacuated to Jordan. He further added that his colleague would “receive further medical treatment” there.
Ghebreyesus says he was in Yemen to negotiate the release of detained UN staff and assess the humanitarian situation in the country. In June, the UN confirmed that the Houthis detained 13 staff members in Yemen.
Despite a clear warning from the Israeli PM Netanyahu, the WHO members, including WHO Cheif, were in Yemen. The situation and decision by the International Organisation seem miscalculated.
Israel targeted two power facilities and important ports controlled by the Houthis, alleging they were being used to transfer Iranian weapons and allow Iranian officials to enter the country.
The militant group of Houthis has relentlessly attacked Israel since 7 October 2023 in support of Hamas, although they operate 2,000km away from the region.
The militant group is also attacking international shipping routes to upend global stability, especially cutting the supplies of Israel and its Western Allies. Israel’s air attack on Yemen is a military measure which looks like a step for its security and to make safe the international shipping routes in the Red Sea.
Israel’s Prime Minister said it would continue to target the “Iranian axis of evil” in comments shortly after the strikes. Iran has described the strikes as a “violation of international peace and security.”
