WHO chief caught in crossfire as Israeli airstrike hits Yemen airport

The head of the World Health Organization said on Thursday that he was about to board a plane at Yemen's international airport in Sanaa when it came under attack by Israel.

“As we were about to board our flight from Sanaa, about three hours ago (around 5 p.m. local time), the airport came under aerial bombardment,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

He added that one of the plane's crew members was injured, while two people were killed at the airport as a result of the airstrikes.

“My U.N. and WHO colleagues and I are safe,” he said. “The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few meters from where we were — and the runway were damaged. We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave.”

Tedros was in Yemen’s capital to secure the release of United Nations staff detained by the Houthis.

UN condemns attack

Following the attack, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned escalations between Israel and Yemen, saying Israel's airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport, the Red Sea ports, and power stations were alarming.

Israel said it struck multiple targets linked to the Houthis in Yemen on Thursday, including Sanaa International Airport. Houthi media said at least six people were killed.

“Israeli airstrikes today on Sanaa International Airport, the Red Sea ports, and power stations in Yemen are especially alarming,” Guterres' spokesperson said in a press briefing, expressing concern about the risk of further regional escalation.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP on whether they were aware of Tedros’ presence at the time.

'We are just getting started': Netanyahu

Israel is only at the beginning of its campaign against the Houthis in Yemen, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Channel 14 interview Thursday, hours after Israeli jets struck the airport in Sanaa.

“We are just getting started with them,” he said.

Houthi attacks over the past year have disrupted international shipping routes, compelling companies to take longer and more costly detours, fueling concerns about global inflation.

* With input from AFP and Reuters