Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that Israeli airstrikes in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, destroyed the city’s presidential palace as well as a power facility, in one of the most significant cross-border operations to date.
Netanyahu said the strikes targeted Houthi positions, accusing the Iran-backed group of intensifying preparations to launch attacks against Israel. “They are now making a major effort to carry out strikes against Israel,” he insisted.
The Israeli military confirmed the raids, saying they struck multiple sites in Sanaa including the presidential palace, which it described as embedded within a military compound, two power facilities, and a fuel storage depot. A statement carried by Reuters cited the army as saying the strikes were designed to “degrade military capabilities” of the Houthis.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s state-run Saba news agency reported that at least two people were killed and five others wounded in the bombardment, after a strike hit the headquarters of the Yemen Petroleum Company on 60th Street in southwestern Sanaa. Local authorities warned that the civilian death toll could rise as rescue operations continued.
The Houthis, who control Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, are part of the so-called “Axis of Resistance” supported by Iran and have been firing drones and missiles toward Israel since the Gaza conflict escalated in 2023. Israel has expanded its military operations in response, targeting Houthi infrastructure in Yemen while maintaining pressure on Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.
The destruction of the presidential palace marks a symbolic and strategic escalation, underscoring how the Gaza war has broadened into a wider regional confrontation involving multiple fronts. With civilian casualties reported and vital infrastructure destroyed, humanitarian concerns in Yemen — already ravaged by a decade of war — are likely to deepen.