Close Call at Sanaa Airport: WHO Chief Narrowly Escapes Israeli Attack

In a shocking revelation, the World Health Organization’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reported an extremely narrow escape from an Israeli airstrike at Sanaa International Airport, Yemen. Early reports from the ground confirm that the attack led to several civilian casualties and significant infrastructure damage.

According to Tedros, the airstrike occurred just as his team was preparing to board their flight. The impact was devastatingly close—mere meters away—damaging the airport's air traffic control tower, departure lounge, and runway. Despite the chaos, Tedros and his colleagues managed to escape unharmed; however, one crew member sustained injuries.

The Houthi-controlled Saba news agency detailed that the aggression resulted in the death of three individuals at the airport. The same day, subsequent strikes targeted the vital port city of Hodeidah, claiming another three lives and causing widespread injuries to forty people. These locations are pivotal entry points and have come under scrutiny for allegedly facilitating the smuggling of Iranian arms into Yemen—a claim driving the Israeli military's actions.

This untimely incident underscores the broader implications of the military engagements in Yemen. The Israeli forces have rationalized their offensive as necessary to curb alleged Iranian support to the Houthis via Yemen. This escalation follows a pattern of Houthi aggressions involving drone and missile deployments towards Israeli territories—a contentious point in the ongoing regional power tussle.

Covering the incident, Al Jazeera’s correspondent Gabriel Elizondo reported from the UN headquarters in New York, highlighting the immediate actions taken to secure the safety of the WHO team post-attack. The UN has since confirmed the safety of all its staff involved.

In response to these developments, UN spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay emphasized the imperative of respecting international and humanitarian laws. She reiterated the inviolability of civilian lives and infrastructure and stressed the protection and respect due to humanitarian personnel under all circumstances.

On the political front, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his stance in an interview, signaling an intensification of military operations against Houthi forces, which he equated with broader actions against Iranian-backed entities in the region.

This incident not only brings to light the immediate dangers posed by the conflict in Yemen but also highlights the catastrophic repercussions on civilian areas and international personnel working under precarious conditions. As the global community watches closely, the calls for a diplomatic resolution and stronger adherence to international humanitarian standards grow louder, aiming to prevent further loss of innocent lives and escalation of conflict.