A day after an Israeli airstrike disabled Sanaa International Airport, the scale of the destruction is becoming clear. According to Khaled Al-Shaif, the airport’s director, the damage is estimated at around half a billion dollars.
In an interview with Al-Masirah TV, which is affiliated with the Houthis, Al-Shaif said, “The enemy inflicted heavy losses after striking with two types of missiles. All flights to and from the airport have been suspended until further notice due to the damage, which is estimated at approximately $500 million. The terminals and all the equipment and systems inside were destroyed. The supply building was completely demolished.”
His comments came on Wednesday, when the Houthis fired two ballistic missiles at Israel; one was intercepted and the other crashed over Saudi Arabia.
Extent of damage at the Sanaa airport
(Video: Reuters)
He added that “the enemy’s justifications for the attack on the airport are baseless,” despite the fact that the Houthis themselves had launched a missile that struck Ben Gurion Airport. “There’s no evidence the airport was used for any other purpose, and now thousands of people are stranded outside the country. Yemen’s national airline lost three planes, leaving only one aircraft operational — the one that was in Oman. There are alternatives for temporarily reopening the airport, but we’ll need considerable time to restore it to full functionality.”
Meanwhile, the Houthi-affiliated Saba news agency reported that Yemen’s transportation and public works minister, Mohammed Qahim, along with Hodeidah governor Abdullah Attifi, visited the port of Hodeidah on Wednesday to review the progress of ongoing work on its docks and its cargo reception systems. That visit came in the wake of another Israeli strike in Yemen earlier this week — on Monday — which targeted the port.
The Houthis stated that the cease-fire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump does not include Israel. “The agreement was reached with Omani mediation, without direct negotiations with the U.S., and applies only to attacks on American ships,” said Houthi negotiator Mohammed Abdul-Salam in a statement to Reuters.
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Earlier, senior Houthi official Hazem Al-Asad — known for threatening Israel in Hebrew — warned that attacks on Israel would continue. “Does the Zionist entity have enough shelters?” he wrote. “And will those shelters truly protect the settlers from the approaching firestorm? The hard questions are still ahead, and the coming days hold surprises.”