Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran-backed Houthis rock Yemen's capital

Israeli airstrikes hit the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Sunday, days after the Houthi rebels fired a missile towards Israel that its military described as the first cluster bomb the rebels had launched at it since 2023.  

At least six people were killed and 86 wounded after multiple areas across Sanaa were hit, according to the Iranian-backed Houthi-run health ministry. 

Israel’s military said it struck the Asar and Hezyaz power plants, calling them “a significant electricity supply facility for military activities,” along with a military site where the presidential palace is located. 

Residents of the capital said they heard explosions close to a closed military academy and the presidential palace. 

The Houthis have launched missiles and drones towards Israel and targeted ships in the Red Sea for over 22 months, saying they were attacking out of solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza. 

Deputy head of the Houthi media office, Nasruddin Amer, vowed to continue attacks on Israel, writing on social media that “our military operations supporting Gaza won’t stop, God willing, unless the aggression is stopped, and the siege is lifted.” 

The latest strikes on Sanaa follow the Houthis’ claim of launching a newly equipped missile towards Israel on Friday, targeting the country’s largest airport, Ben Gurion. There were no reported damage or injuries. 

An Israeli Air Force official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations, called Friday's projectile a new threat - a cluster munition, meant to detonate into multiple explosives on impact. 

The use of cluster bombs makes interception more difficult and represents additional technology provided to the Houthis by Iran, the official asserted.