Israeli Defense Minister Isreal Katz Gallant vowed continued destruction of Houthi infrastructure after Israeli warplanes again struck Sanaa International Airport on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. The Israeli military confirmed the strikes destroyed the last remaining operational Yemenia Airways plane.

In a statement, Katz asserted the strikes were "a clear message and a continuation of our policy," warning, "Whoever fires at Israel will pay a heavy price." He threatened further attacks, stating, "Yemen's ports will be heavily struck, and Sanaa Airport will be destroyed again and again, as will other strategic infrastructures in the area used by the Houthi terror organization and its supporters."

Katz added that the Houthis would face a "naval and aerial blockade," reiterating a previous promise: "Whoever harms us will be harmed sevenfold."

Meanwhile, Hans Grundberg, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Yemen, condemned the targeting of civilian infrastructure, including Sanaa Airport in Yemen and Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, calling it "unacceptable."

In a statement seen by Bran Press, Grundberg highlighted that "today's raid on Sanaa Airport, and the resulting destruction of a Yemeni civilian aircraft, deprives many Yemenis of an essential means of travel for medical, educational, family, or religious purposes, especially at a time when thousands are preparing for Hajj."

Grundberg urged "all relevant parties to exercise restraint and fulfill their obligations under international law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure." He also stressed the critical need for a Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue, supported by regional actors, as the only viable path to achieving lasting security and peace in Yemen and the region.

The latest strike comes after the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced earlier today that its air forces had targeted Houthi assets at Sanaa International Airport, destroying the last Yemenia Airways plane. The ministry's statement reiterated that the strikes served as a "clear message" that "whoever fires at us will pay a heavy price, and we will continue to inflict severe damage on Yemeni ports, and we will target the airport and infrastructure repeatedly."
Previously, on May 24, 2025, Yemenia Airways had announced the return of one of its fleet from Amman, Jordan, in preparation for Hajj pilgrim flights from Sanaa International Airport. This was despite ongoing rehabilitation efforts to repair airport facilities impacted by prior Israeli bombing.

Sanaa International Airport suffered extensive Israeli airstrikes on May 6, which reportedly involved around 15 raids. These attacks targeted civilian aircraft, runways, and the passenger terminal, rendering the airport inoperable. Three Yemenia Airways planes were also destroyed in those strikes.

The internationally recognized Yemeni government later held the Houthi group responsible for the losses incurred by Yemenia Airways and the destruction of its three aircraft due to the Israeli bombing of Sanaa International Airport. Western reports confirmed that these three destroyed planes were "uninsured."

According to a statement from the Yemeni Ministry of Transport, the Houthi group bears full responsibility for the substantial losses and severe damage to three Yemenia Airways planes that were parked at Sanaa International Airport during the airstrikes, attributing it to the group's continued illegal and illegitimate detention of the aircraft.