Israel on Thursday fired at the airport in Sana'a, Yemen, where the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) was present. Reuters published surveillance footage purporting to show Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus being led out of the VIP lounge during the attack.
Houthis announced on Thursday that Israel fired at targets in Sana'a and the port of Hodeidah. Six people died. During a raid on the capital's airport Yemen the missiles hit “meters” from the visiting head of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The shelling of targets in Sana'a began when Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was about to board the plane. “The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge – just a few meters from where we were – and the runway were damaged,” Ghebreyesus wrote on social media on Thursday, adding that he and his WHO colleagues were safe. Ghebreyesus also reported that one of the crew members of the plane he was supposed to be on was injured.
Describing what happened at the airport on Friday, the WHO chief said there were about four explosions, one of which was “disturbingly” close to where he was sitting.
“I wasn't sure if I would survive because it was so close, a few meters from where we were,” Ghebreyesus told Reuters. He said he and his colleagues were stuck at the airport for at least an hour.
Surveillance footage
On Saturday, Reuters published surveillance footage shown by the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV station. According to the station, as Reuters writes, the recording allegedly shows the head of the WHO sitting in the VIP lounge and then being taken out of it by other people during the raid.
Reuters said it independently verified the location but was unable to verify the date of the recording or the man's identity.
WHO chief at the airport during the attack. Reuters released surveillance footageReuters
Israeli Army: We intercepted a rocket fired from Yemen
On Saturday morning, the Israeli military said it had intercepted a rocket fired from Yemen. In accordance with the security protocol – according to the AFP agency – alarm sirens were turned on in the central part of Israel.
According to an Israeli army statement, the rocket fired from Yemen was intercepted “before entering Israeli territory.”
On Friday, an airstrike took place on Yemen's capital, Sanaa. The Houthis said on their Telegram channel that the attack was “American and British aggression.” Israel, USA and Great Britain did not respond to these accusations.
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu he said on Wednesday that “the Houthis will also learn the same lesson as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Assad regime.” A day later, he added that the Israeli authorities “are determined to cut off this terrorist arm of the Iran axis.” Iran financed and supported the Shiite Houthis during the insurgency against the Yemeni government.
Main photo source: Reuters