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WHO chief says he was at Yemen airport when it was hit by deadly Israeli air strikes

26 December 2024, 16:36 | Updated: 26 December 2024, 20:32

The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said he was at Yemen's Sanaa airport when it was hit by Israeli air strikes.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was about to board a flight from Sanaa with UN and WHO staff when "the airport came under aerial bombardment".

"One of our plane's crew members was injured," he added. "At least two people were reported killed at the airport.

"The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge - just a few meters from where we were - and the runway were damaged."

Mr Ghebreyesus said he and his colleagues were safe and sent "our heartfelt condolences" to the relatives of those who died.

Meanwhile, Israel's military said it had hit multiple targets linked to the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen on Thursday - including Sanaa International Airport and three ports along the western coast.

Attacks hit Yemen's Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations as well as military infrastructure in the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Kanatib, Israel's military added.

Local news outlet Al Masirah TV, run by the Houthis, said two people were killed in strikes at the airport, while one person was killed in the port strikes.

It added 11 others were wounded in the attacks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the strikes and said on social media: "We are determined to sever this terror arm of Iran's axis.

"We will persist in this until we complete the task."

It comes after 16 people were wounded in Tel Aviv when a missile fired by the Houthis struck a playground over the weekend.

Jets also fired at Sanaa and Hodeida last week, killing nine people in what the Israeli military called a response to previous attacks from the rebel group.