US intensifies Yemen strikes as lawmakers question civilian killings
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US airstrikes on Yemen escalate, hitting a UNESCO site in Sanaa as the death toll since mid-March climbs to over 100 civilians.
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In this photo taken from a video released by the Ansar Allah Media Office via Al Masirah TV shows a wounded child being taken for treatment at a hospital in Saada, Yemen, on Saturday, March 15, 2025, following US airstrikes over multiple targets in the country. (AP)
US fighter jets carried out heavy airstrikes on Yemen on Friday, targeting key areas in Hodeidah and Sanaa provinces. The ongoing escalation comes as US lawmakers call for accountability over rising civilian killings caused by these attacks.
The Ansar Allah media center confirmed that US warplanes struck the al-Salif district in the Hodeidah province and launched additional strikes on Bani Hushaish district in Sanaa province. Kamaran Island in the strategic Hodeidah region also came under repeated aerial bombardment by US forces. These attacks follow a series of air raids in recent days on Marib, Amran, and other regions, indicating a broadening of the military campaign.
According to the Yemeni Ministry of Health, US airstrikes since mid-March have killed at least 107 civilians, many of them women and children, and left 223 others injured.
The escalating attacks on densely populated areas have sparked growing alarm over the worsening humanitarian crisis, as civilian casualties mount and critical infrastructure is further destroyed.
US airstrike hits UNESCO World Heritage Site in Yemen’s capital
The United States bombed a residential neighborhood in the Old City of Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, on Sunday, killing at least a dozen people, according to Yemen’s Health Ministry. The targeted area is part of the Old City of Sanaa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its historical significance and unique architecture.
Overnight, the US bombed San’a, Yemen’s capital, shaking the city with heavy bombardment. pic.twitter.com/1U9sENQlAX
— Josep Goded (@josepgoded) April 20, 2025
Local authorities reported that the strike caused severe damage to centuries-old buildings and further endangered the cultural heritage of one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
Senators challenge Hegseth over mounting civilian killings in US strikes
Three Democratic US senators have pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for answers following reports that recent US airstrikes in Yemen have killed scores of civilians. Senators Chris Van Hollen (Maryland), Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts), and Tim Kaine (Virginia) criticized the strikes, which were allegedy aimed at Ansar Allah members, warning that President Donald Trump’s repeated pledges to be a “peacemaker” in his second term “ring hollow” in light of the rising death toll.
In a letter obtained by The Washington Post, the senators accused the Trump administration of showing a “serious disregard” for human life and questioned whether military operations were being conducted in line with US standards on civilian harm mitigation and international law. They demanded that Hegseth provide a full accounting of civilian casualties in Yemen and explain the steps taken by the Pentagon to prevent further loss of innocent life.
A Defense Department spokesperson claimed the Pentagon is “aware of reports” of civilian casualties and is reviewing them under existing procedures. However, concerns have mounted after the Trump administration scaled back measures established under President Joe Biden aimed at protecting civilians during military operations.
Hegseth, a former Fox News personality and combat veteran, has previously expressed opposition to what he views as restrictive rules of engagement. In his 2024 book The War on Warriors, he wrote, “Our enemies should get bullets, not attorneys,” criticizing protections for captured fighters. During his confirmation hearing earlier this year, Hegseth declared that while the US would follow the Geneva Conventions, but added, “What we are not going to do is put international conventions above Americans.”
Ansar Allah vows to resist the US aggression despite civilian killings
In response to the intensified US airstrikes on Yemen, Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badreddine al-Houthi, leader of Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, declared that the United States plays the central role in the Israeli aggression on Gaza, citing Washington’s establishment of an air bridge to support the Israeli occupation forces.
Speaking in a televised address on Thursday, al-Houthi warned that the joint American-Israeli agenda "poses a serious threat to global humanity," noting that this axis shows no regard for human life. He emphasized that "the steadfastness of the Palestinian resistance and the people of Gaza should have been met with genuine Arab solidarity and support."
Gaza war exposes Israeli failure
Sayyed al-Houthi stated that more than a year and a half into the war, the Israeli occupation has failed to achieve its objectives in the Gaza Strip. Despite its overwhelming firepower, "Israel" has been unable to gain full control over the besieged territory.
He also pointed to what he described as a shifting global view of the Israeli occupation, saying that people across the world increasingly see "Israel" as a criminal and oppressive occupying force. This shift, he noted, is now even taking root in American and European societies, marking a significant transformation in public sentiment.
Urging governments and populations across the Arab and Muslim world to adopt a unified stance, al-Houthi called for "coordinated pressure to bring an end to the aggression against the Palestinian people." He stressed that "the Yemeni model, both at the official and grassroots levels, provides a powerful example of steadfast support for Gaza and the Palestinian cause."
Al-Houthi also addressed Ansar Allah’s military operations, highlighting the recent Haifa operation as a "surprising blow to the enemy." He described continued attacks deep into occupied Palestinian territories as "clear proof of the failure of the US-led aggression."
He further stated that the arrival of another American aircraft carrier had done little to change the course of the war, as US forces had been unable to achieve their strategic objectives. The Yemeni Armed Forces, he asserted, "will persist in their operations to disrupt Israeli and US-linked maritime navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding waters."
"There is no benefit in the American aggression in limiting our capabilities or weakening our resolve,” he said, affirming that Ansar Allah’s stance remains unwavering.
Read more: What the West needs to know about Yemen's Ansar Allah
