On Tuesday, May 6, the Israeli military issued an unprecedented evacuation warning for the international airport in the capital of Yemen, Sana’a.
This marks the first time that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have issued an evacuation notice for Yemen, which is over 1,000 miles (approximately 1,600 kilometers) away from Israel.
“Do not stay in the area as it will endanger your lives,” warned Avichay Adraee, the IDF Arabic spokesperson, on social media.
The warning came a day after the Israeli military carried out a punitive air strike against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, with the main target being the port city of Hodeida on the Red Sea. The Yemeni Ministry of Health, under Houthi control, reported at least one person killed and 35 others injured in the airstrike on the cement factory in Bajil, east of Hodeida.
This Israeli airstrike was in response to a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi rebels on Sunday. The missile penetrated the Israeli defense system and hit near Tel Aviv International Airport. Despite several interception attempts by the Israeli forces, they all failed.
Following these events, some global airlines have once again suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv. In January this year, foreign airlines had resumed flights to Israel after a ceasefire agreement was reached between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Many airlines had halted flights to Israel for the majority of the past year and a half since the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas.