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ADEN, Yemen: Israel’s deadly airstrikes this week targeting Iran-backed rebels in Yemen have damaged residential areas in the country’s capital of Sanaa, leaving many houses in ruins and residents without help from authorities and unable to afford repairs on their own.
Wednesday’s strikes killed 46 people — including 11 women and five children — and wounded 165, according to a toll released late Thursday by the rebel-run health ministry in Sanaa. Most of the casualties were in Sanaa. Rebel officials said 11 local journalists were also killed in the strikes.
The strikes followed a drone launched by the Houthi rebels that breached Israel’s multilayered air defenses and slammed into a southern Israeli airport, blowing out glass windows and injuring one person.
In yemen, a military headquarters and a Sanaa fuel station were also hit, the rebels said previously, as well as a government facility in the city of Hazm, the capital of northern Jawf province. The National Museum of Yemen was also damaged, according to the rebels’ culture ministry, with footage from the site showings damage to the building’s façade.
In Sanaa, where Yemen’s yearslong civil war has impoverished many, residents told The Associated Press they cannot afford any major repairs and that the local authorities are not offering compensation or help with reconstruction.
Dozens of homes in Sanaa’s central Tahrir area were damaged. One of the residents from there, Um Talal, said she has no faith the authorities will help repair the house where she lives with her daughter and two sons.
The airstrikes knocked out their living room walls and damaged the kitchen, leaving dirt, debris and rubble, speaking to The Associated Press over the phone.
“Everything was lost in the blink of an eye,” she said. “Authorities haven’t even called us to this day. ”
Despite the destruction, she said the family will fix what they can and continue living in their home.
Another resident, Ahmed Al-Wasabi, said he and his family — luckily — were not home when one of the airstrikes partially destroyed their house.
“The explosions terrified people who went running and children and women were crying and screaming,” said Khaled Al-Dabeai, a grocery shop owner who added that the force of the explosions knocked products off his shelves.
Israel has previously launched waves of airstrikes in response to the Houthis’ firing missiles and drones at Israel. The Houthis say they are supporting Hamas and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis have launched missiles and drones toward Israel and targeted ships in the Red Sea for over 22 months, saying they are attacking in solidarity with Palestinians amid the war in Gaza.
Houthi leader Mahdi Al-Mashat vowed on Wednesday to continue the attacks, warning Israelis to “stay alarmed since the response is coming for sure.”
 

NEW YORK: “Laws of war are not optional, and their violations must be investigated and addressed for the sake of justice and to prevent setting a dangerous precedent,” a UN official said on Friday, warning of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza amid escalating conflict.
Speaking from Deir Al-Balah, Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Gaza, told a press briefing that “in an instant, Gaza City was handed a death sentence — leave or be killed,” referring to the orders for civilians to leave their homes and move to already overcrowded areas where basic necessities such as clean water, nutritious food, and medical care have become scarce commodities.
Hospitals, overwhelmed and lacking critical supplies, are struggling to care for the injured, many of whom are housed in hallways and on balconies due to limited space. Meanwhile, Israeli naval forces blockade Gaza’s western coastline, while ground troops and tanks encircle the territory on all other sides, tightening restrictions and cutting off escape routes.
Cherevko recounted the human cost of the conflict, including the death of a young child in an Israeli strike while waiting for bread. She painted a harrowing picture of families fleeing in desperation, children sheltering under tables during bombings, and entire communities living with the constant threat of violence.
“The unmistakable smell of death is everywhere — a grisly reminder that the ruins lining the streets hide the remains of mothers, fathers, children. Humans who once laughed, cried, dreamed. Their lives cut short by the war’s killing machines, many to never be found again,” she said.
Humanitarian efforts in the enclave continue to face significant obstacles, with aid convoys often delayed, denied, or obstructed by Israeli authorities, impeding the delivery of vital food, water, and medical supplies.
“Dignity and hope have been stripped away, with every killing of a loved one, every strike on a civilian lifeline, every denial of access.
“Systems that support life have been systematically dismantled and destroyed. Parents struggle to shield their children from violence, from hunger, from fear,” she said.
“Fleeing families flood the street, clutching their children in their arms, not knowing where they will go as every option appears to have been exhausted.
“The race against time, against death, against the spread of famine, feels like we as humanitarians are running through quicksand. Even more so as humanitarian convoys are too often denied, delayed or obstructed by the Israeli authorities.”
Yet, amid the devastation, Cherevko highlighted the resilience and courage of Palestinian doctors, nurses, paramedics, and aid workers who continue their efforts despite limited resources and dangerous conditions.
“Hope may be all we have left, so we must nurture it,” she said. “But hope alone will not keep people alive. Urgent decisions are needed to pave the way to lasting peace.”
Cherevko called for an immediate and sustained ceasefire, the unconditional release of hostages, protection of civilians, and unfettered humanitarian access throughout Gaza. She emphasized the importance of accountability for violations of international law.
“The people of Gaza are not asking for charity. They are asking for their right to live in safety, in dignity, in peace,” she said.
“History will judge us not by the speeches we make, but by our actions. When Gaza burned, children starved, hospitals collapsed — did you act?”