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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded to days of missile attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Wednesday, targeting the Sanaa airport and destroying the Houthis’ last serviceable airplane.
The Houthis are Islamic extremists whom the Biden administration removed from the terrorist list, and whose slogan is “Allahu akbar, death to the United States, death to Israel, curse the Jews, victory for Islam.”
SANA’A, YEMEN – MAY 23: Military forces who are affiliated with Yemen’s Houthi group take part in a mass protest held against the Israeli continued bombardment and blockade of people in the Gaza Strip on May 23, 2025 in Sana’a, Yemen. Demonstrators in Yemen have rallied in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, calling for an end to Israel’s aid blockade and military campaign in Gaza. (Photo by Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)
The Houthis stepped up their attacks on Israel, despite a ceasefire between the rebels and the U.S., once Israel launched an offensive to remove Hamas from Gaza, known as “Operation Gideon’s Chariots.”
The IDF targeted the airport in Sanaa earlier this month, damaging the Houthis’ ability to import more weapons from Iran. And on Wednesday, the Israeli Air Force returned to destroy what was left there.
In a statement, the IDF said:
A short while ago, the IDF struck at the main airport in Sana’a and aircraft belonging to the Houthi terrorist organization.
The aircraft struck were used by the Houthi terrorist organization for the transfer of terrorists who advanced terrorist attacks against the state of Israel.
Similarly to the Hudaydah and Salif Ports that were struck last week, the main airport of Sana’a is continuously operated by the Houthi regime and is used by them for terror purposes. This is another example of the brutal use of civilian infrastructure by the Houthi terrorist organization.
The IDF is determined to continue to operate against anyone who poses a threat to Israeli civilians wherever necessary.
The Times of Israel reported: “Defense Minister Israel Katz said the aircraft was the last remaining plane in use by the Houthis. The other planes were destroyed in an Israeli strike on the airport on May 6, also in response to frequent Houthi attacks.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued his own statement (translated from Hebrew by the Government Press Office):
The Air Force has attacked the airport in Sanaa again, which is controlled by the Houthi terrorist regime in Yemen.
We work according to a simple rule: Whoever harms us, we harm them. Whoever does not understand this with force, will now understand it with greater force.
But, as I have said more than once: The Houthis are only the symptom. The main driving force behind them is Iran, which is responsible for the aggression emanating from Yemen.
It is unclear whether, or when, Israel will target Iran in response to Houthi attacks, though Netanyahu keeps raising the possibility. U.S. President Donald Trump has also held Iran responsible, though he is also trying to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran, and is reportedly rejecting the idea of a military response — for now.
