Israeli airstrikes hit a Yemen airport as a jet with hundreds onboard was landing, UN official says

Julien Harneis describes the terrifying Israeli airstrikes on Sanaa airport, endangering U.N. officials and civilians, worsening Yemen's crisis.

Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen’s main airport as a civilian Airbus 320 with hundreds of passengers on board was landing and a U.N. delegation was waiting to leave, the U.N.'s top humanitarian official in Yemen said on Friday (December 27, 2024).

Julien Harneis told U.N. reporters that the most frightening thing about the two airstrikes on Thursday (December 26, 2024) wasn’t their effect on him and about 15 others in the VIP lounge at the international airport in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, including the head of the U.N. World Health Organization.

Rather, it was the destruction of the airport control tower as a Yemenia Airways plane was taxiing in after touching down.

“Fortunately, that plane was able to land safely and the passengers were able to disembark, but it could have been far, far worse,” said Harneis, who was with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in the lounge.

He said one airstrike landed approximately 300 meters (330 yards) south of the VIP lounge and another about 300 meters to the north around 4:45 p.m., while about five members of the U.N. team were outside the building.

“Not only obviously did we have zero indication of any potential airstrikes, but we cannot remember the last time there were airstrikes in Sanaa during daylight hours,” Harneis said in a video news conference from Sanaa.

The U.N. said at least three people were killed and dozens injured in the strike. Among the injured was a crew member from the U.N. Humanitarian Air Service, which was about to fly the U.N. delegation of some 20 people out of Sanaa.