Daijiworld Media Network- Sanaa

Sanaa, Sep 11: In a fresh escalation of hostilities, Israeli fighter jets carried out a series of heavy airstrikes on Yemen Wednesday, killing at least 35 people and injuring more than 130 others, according to Houthi officials.

The Houthi-run health ministry confirmed that the majority of casualties occurred in the capital city of Sanaa, where a military headquarters and a fuel station were among the targets destroyed. Rescue teams continued to dig through rubble late into the night as the toll was expected to rise.

Al-Masirah, the satellite channel operated by the Houthis, reported that the strikes severely damaged residential houses near the targeted military headquarters in central Sanaa.

The latest assault follows a Houthi drone strike earlier this week that breached Israel’s air defence systems and struck an airport in southern Israel. The Iran-backed Houthis have repeatedly declared their support for Hamas and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, launching waves of missile and drone attacks against Israel in recent months.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that she would push for sanctions and partial trade suspension against Israel over its ongoing war in Gaza. The move signals mounting international pressure and further isolates Israel diplomatically, coming just a day after it carried out a strike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar, a close U.S. ally.

Israel, on its part, reiterated evacuation orders for nearly one million civilians from Gaza City, where it has intensified bombing campaigns on high-rise structures. The city, already devastated from earlier raids and enduring severe famine, remains at the centre of Israel’s ongoing offensive.