Israel's Air Strikes Against Yemen (May 2025)

Military operations were launched by the Ansarullah Movement (Houthi) in Yemen in response to a missile attack on Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, on 4 May 2025. Israel’s air strikes targeted industrial facilities port infrastructure and populated areas in Yemen resulting in varying levels of civilian casualties and structural damage.

On 4 May 2025 Houthi forces in Yemen carried out a hypersonic ballistic missile attack on Ben Gurion International Airport located in Tel Aviv Israel’s capital. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that one of the missiles struck the airport compound leaving a crater 15 metres in diameter.

The airport was temporarily closed to flights as a result of the attack and four people were reported to have sustained minor to moderate injuries. In statements following the attack the Houthis stated that they were responding to Israel’s military operations against the Gaza Strip and described the strike as a planned and targeted action.

According to Houthi sources the attack triggered widespread panic in the area with approximately three million people seeking shelter.

Following the attack several international airlines cancelled flights scheduled to Ben Gurion Airport. Air Europa Swiss Airlines Lufthansa ITA Airways and Brussels Airlines suspended all flights for the day while Wizz Air grounded its flights until the morning of 6 May. Air France cancelled one flight and a Transavia aircraft was diverted to Greece instead of Tel Aviv. An Air India flight departing from New Delhi turned back from Jordan’s airspace and returned to India.

On 5 May 2025 the Israeli Air Force launched aerial operations against multiple locations in Yemen in response to the Houthi missile attack. According to Israeli sources the United States was notified prior to these strikes. Channel 12 television reported that Israeli warplanes dropped approximately 48 bombs on more than ten targets in Yemen.

The port of Hodeidah and surrounding industrial facilities formed the focus of the operations. Israeli aircraft reportedly targeted cement plants in the Bajil district. The Hodeidah Port which had previously been attacked also sustained significant structural damage. According to Israeli sources the operations targeted Houthi infrastructure.

The Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah television channel announced that Hodeidah Port had been hit by six air strikes carried out by Israel and the United States. The Houthi-controlled Ministry of Health reported that one person was killed and four injured in the attacks on Hodeidah Port. In the strikes against the Bajil Cement Factory three people were killed and 35 injured.

On 6 May 2025 Israeli Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee declared that Sanaa International Airport had been designated a “red zone” and called for the area to be evacuated. On the same day Israeli warplanes conducted air strikes on various infrastructure points in and around the capital Sanaa.

Houthi-linked sources indicated that the Atan district of Sanaa the Hezyaz Central Power Station in the Sanhan district the Zehban Power Station in Beni Haris and a cement plant in Amran province were also targeted. The Israeli military officially claimed responsibility for these strikes in a written statement. According to Israeli media a total of 10 targets in and around Sanaa were hit.

Israeli state television KAN reported citing security sources that the Tel Aviv administration would respond forcefully to the Houthi attack. It was announced that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu held an emergency security meeting on the same day with several ministers and defense officials. Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz stated that Israel would maintain military deterrence against any attacks originating from Yemen.

The Israeli military announced that since the end of the ceasefire in Gaza on 18 March 2025 it had neutralized a total of 20 ballistic missiles launched from Yemen using its air defense systems.

On 7 May 2025 all flights at Sanaa International Airport in the capital of Yemen were suspended until a further announcement. Airport director Khalid ash-Shayif stated in an interview with al-Masirah television, affiliated with the Houthis, that Israel had bombed the airport with two types of high-explosive missiles and that the runways had been targeted by four missiles.

As a result of the attack, severe damage was inflicted on the airport runways. It was reported that passenger lounges and interior fittings in the terminal building had been rendered unusable and that the logistics building had been completely destroyed. Initial assessments indicated that material damage amounted to approximately 500 million dollars.

Additionally three passenger aircraft belonging to Yemenia Airlines were lost in the attacks. It was stated that only one passenger aircraft remained in the airline’s fleet and that this aircraft was located in Amman the capital of Jordan. The fires that broke out were reportedly brought under control and extinguished by airport personnel. Alternative arrangements for the temporary operation of the airport are said to be under planning.

The airstrikes launched by Israel on May 4, 2025, constitute a direct military response to a ballistic missile attack carried out the previous day by the Ansar Allah movement (Houthis) based in Yemen. The Israeli operations targeted various locations across Yemen, including industrial installations, port infrastructure, and populated urban areas. The strikes reportedly resulted in civilian casualties of varying severity, as well as substantial structural damage.

On May 4, 2025, Houthi forces in Yemen launched a hypersonic ballistic missile aimed at Ben Gurion International Airport, located near Tel Aviv, Israel’s main urban center. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), one of the projectiles struck the airport complex, creating a crater measuring approximately 15 meters in diameter.

In the aftermath of the strike, the airport was temporarily closed to all air traffic. Medical authorities confirmed that four individuals sustained minor to moderate injuries. The Houthi movement claimed responsibility for the operation, stating that it was a deliberate and targeted act carried out in retaliation for Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

According to sources affiliated with the Houthis, the attack caused widespread alarm throughout the region, prompting an estimated three million residents in central Israel to take shelter in secure locations.

In the immediate aftermath of the missile strike on Ben Gurion International Airport, several international airlines cancelled scheduled flights to Israel. Among the carriers that halted operations on May 4, 2025, were Air Europa, Swiss International Air Lines, Lufthansa, ITA Airways, and Brussels Airlines. The low-cost carrier Wizz Air suspended its flights to Israel until the morning of May 6. Air France cancelled one of its flights, while a Transavia aircraft en route to Tel Aviv was rerouted to Greece. Additionally, an Air India flight originating from New Delhi reversed course over Jordanian airspace and returned to India.

On May 5, 2025, the Israeli Air Force initiated a series of aerial operations targeting multiple sites across Yemen in response to the Houthi missile attack. According to Israeli sources, the United States was notified prior to the launch of the strikes. Channel 12 News reported that Israeli fighter jets dropped approximately 48 bombs on more than ten separate targets in Yemen.

The port of Hodeidah and its surrounding industrial infrastructure formed the focal point of the operation. Reports indicated that Israeli warplanes struck cement factories located in the Bacil district. Hodeidah Port, which had been targeted in previous attacks, was once again severely damaged. According to official Israeli statements, the operation aimed to degrade infrastructure linked to the Houthi military apparatus.

Al Masirah TV, a media outlet affiliated with the Houthi movement, reported that Hodeidah Port was struck by six separate air raids conducted jointly by Israeli and U.S. forces. The Houthi-controlled Ministry of Health announced that one person was killed and four others injured in the attacks on the port. In a separate statement, it was reported that strikes on the Bacil Cement Factory resulted in three fatalities and 35 injuries.

On May 6, 2025, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced that Sana’a International Airport had been designated a “red zone” and called for the immediate evacuation of the area. Later that day, the Israeli Air Force conducted a series of air raids targeting various infrastructure sites in and around the Yemeni capital, including the airport itself.

According to sources affiliated with the Houthi movement, the airstrikes struck multiple key installations: the Atan district in central Sana’a, the Hezyaz Central Power Plant in the Sanhan district, the Zehban Power Station in Bani Harith, and a cement factory located in the Amran Governorate. The Israeli military claimed responsibility for the strikes in an official written statement. Israeli media reports indicated that a total of ten targets in the Sana’a region were hit.

Israeli state broadcaster KAN, citing defense sources, reported that the government in Tel Aviv was determined to deliver a forceful response to the missile attack by the Houthis. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency security meeting that afternoon with select ministers and senior defense officials.

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz stated that Israel would maintain military deterrence against further threats originating from Yemen. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that, since the ceasefire in Gaza ended on March 18, 2025, a total of 20 ballistic missiles launched from Yemen had been intercepted by the country’s air defense systems.

On May 7, 2025, all flight operations at Sana’a International Airport, located in the Yemeni capital, were suspended until further notice. According to statements made by Airport Director Khaled al-Shayef to the Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah television network, the airport was bombarded by Israeli forces using two types of high-explosive missiles, with four of those directly striking the runways.

The attack inflicted severe damage on airport infrastructure. The main runways sustained extensive destruction, rendering them inoperable. Passenger terminals and their interior fittings were reportedly devastated, while the primary logistics facility was entirely demolished. Preliminary estimates placed the financial cost of the damages at approximately $500 million.

Additionally, three passenger aircraft operated by Yemen Airways were destroyed as a result of the strikes. Reports stated that only one aircraft remains in the airline's fleet, currently located in Amman, the capital of Jordan. Fires that broke out at the airport were subsequently brought under control and extinguished by emergency response teams. Officials indicated that temporary arrangements were being planned to ensure the airport’s continued limited operations under alternative configurations.

On 11 May 2025, the Ansar Allah movement (Houthis) in Yemen announced that it had been subjected to numerous airstrikes by the Israeli Air Force targeting the western region of the country, specifically Al Hudaydah Governorate. The statement was published by 26 September, the media outlet affiliated with the Houthi-controlled Ministry of Defense. No details were provided regarding the nature of the strikes, the targeted areas, or casualties.

Prior to the airstrikes, the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for three port areas along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, which are under Houthi control. Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson Avichay Adraee, in a statement on the social media platform X, instructed all individuals in the ports of Ras Isa, Al Hudaydah, and Salif to immediately leave the areas. Adraee alleged that the ports were being used by Houthi forces for military operations and stated that the evacuation warning would remain valid until a further announcement.

On 28 May 2025, the Israeli Air Force launched a new airstrike targeting Sanaa International Airport in the capital of Yemen. Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz claimed the strike aimed to destroy the last passenger aircraft used by the Houthis and asserted that the airport was being used for “hostile purposes”.

_{A scene from Sana International Airport after Israel's attack, 28 May 2025 - Anadolu Agency}

The Israeli military stated that the attack targeted Houthi aerial assets. Havalimanı Director Khalid al-Shayif confirmed that the last operational aircraft belonging to Yemenia Airlines had been completely destroyed. Al-Masirah television reported that Israeli warplanes targeted the runway and a Yemenia Airlines aircraft in four separate airstrikes.

Yemenia Airlines announced that the attack occurred minutes before passengers bound for Hajj pilgrimage were due to board their aircraft. All flights were suspended until further notice following the strike. This attack marked the fourth airstrike by Israel against Yemen since it resumed its operations against Gaza on 18 March 2025. Since 7 October 2023, a total of ten airstrikes by Israel against Yemen have been recorded.

Targets previously struck by Israel in Yemen include cement factories power plants seaports and Sanaa International Airport. Following this attack it was reported that only one aircraft belonging to Yemenia Airlines remains operational outside Yemen.

On July 7, 2025, the Israeli Air Force conducted extensive airstrikes targeting various ports and infrastructure facilities in Yemen held by the Houthis. Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced that under the operation named "Black Flag," the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and Salif, along with a power plant on the coast of Ras al-Kasib and the vessel Galaxy Leader under Houthi control, were targeted.

The Israeli military stated that the attacks were carried out by dozens of combat aircraft. Military sources claimed that the targeted ports and power plant were being used by the Houthis for military purposes. It was also alleged that the Galaxy Leader vessel had been equipped with a radar system at the port to monitor international maritime traffic.

The airstrike on the power plant in Hodeidah caused widespread power outages in the region. No official statement has been issued regarding casualties or injuries.