UN chief describes Israeli strike on Sanaa airport as 'alarming'
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The UN Secretary-General warns that airstrikes on Red Sea ports and Sanaa airport pose grave risks to humanitarian operations at a time when millions of people are in need of life-saving assistance.
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres answers media questions after he delivered remarks on Syria outside the UN Security Council, on December 19, 2024 (AP)
The United Nations chief on Thursday condemned the "escalation" in hostilities between the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) and "Israel", calling the strikes on Sanaa airport "especially alarming".
In a statement by a spokesperson, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned "the escalation between Yemen and Israel. Israeli airstrikes today on Sanaa International Airport, the Red Sea ports, and power stations in Yemen are especially alarming."
Israeli air strikes pummelled Sanaa's international airport and other targets in Yemen on Thursday, with the Yemeni Ministry of Health reporting four martyrs as a result of the aggression.
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on social media that he was at the airport during the strike and the UN reported that a member of its aircrew was injured, confirming that the strikes caused three deaths and dozens of injuries.
Guterres expressed serious concern over the threat that bombing transportation infrastructure poses to humanitarian aid operations in Yemen, where 80% of the population depends on assistance.
"The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned about the risk of further escalation in the region and reiterates his call for all parties concerned to cease all military actions and exercise utmost restraint," he said.
"He also warns that airstrikes on Red Sea ports and Sana'a airport pose grave risks to humanitarian operations at a time when millions of people are in need of life-saving assistance."
US-assisted Israeli attack on Yemen hits Sanaa Airport
The Israeli occupation launched a large-scale attack on Yemen while the leader of the Ansar Allah movement, Sayyed Abdul Malik al-Houthi, was delivering his speech.
A source told Al Mayadeen on Thursday that the Israeli aggression on Sanaa and al-Hodeidah targeted civilian facilities and was carried out with the US and UK's coordination and support.
The source also said that targeting civilian facilities is evidence of the occupation's failure to have a clear target list within the country, stressing that this "will not change the course of the war and will be met with a similar response."
Al Mayadeen's correspondent, in turn, also confirmed that the Israeli occupation's aggression targeted a gathering of travelers, including patients, at the Sanaa International Airport terminal, and also targeted airport control towers.
In response, the Political Bureau of the Ansar Allah movement stressed on Thursday that the YAF is ready "to confront escalation with escalation."
Underlining that the YAF are ready to respond swiftly to Israeli aggression, the Political Bureau said that Sanaa is willing to defend itself against aggression no matter the cost.
Moreover, a statement released by Ansar Allah made it clear that such strikes and attacks against the country "will not deter" the Yemeni people from supporting the Palestinian people and their Resistance in Gaza.
