ISTANBUL

Israeli warplanes launched a new round of airstrikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Thursday, the army said.  

A military statement said the strikes targeted a Houthi military target in Sanaa, without giving further details.  

Israeli media said the attacks occurred during a speech by Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, which continued without interruption.  

According to the Yedioth Ahronoth daily, a meeting of senior Houthi officials was among the targets in the strikes. 

Israel’s Army Radio, citing security sources, said the strikes targeted Houthi leaders as they gathered to watch the speech of their leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.  

The Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV confirmed the Israeli strikes in Sanaa, without giving details about the targets or casualties.  

Local residents told Anadolu they heard powerful explosions rocking different parts of the city.  

The Houthi-run Defense Ministry’s 26 September news website said Israeli warplanes carried out over 10 airstrikes in Sanaa, without giving details about the targeted sites.  

Houthi spokesman Nasruddin Amer denied Israeli media reports about targeting Houthi leaders in Sanaa. 

“What is happening is the targeting of civilian sites and the Yemeni people as a whole because of their support for Gaza,” he said on the US social media company X.  

“The Yemeni operations and support for Gaza and the resistance will not stop until the (Israeli) aggression ends and the siege on Gaza is lifted,” he added.  

The Israeli attacks came shortly after Tel Aviv said that it had intercepted two drones fired by Houthis on Thursday.

On Sunday, the Israeli army launched a series of airstrikes targeting several sites in Sanaa, including the presidential palace, the Asar and Hizaz power plants, and a fuel storage site, killing at least 10 people and injuring dozens.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched missile and drone strikes on Israeli targets and targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where nearly 63,000 people have been killed in an Israeli offensive.