The Israeli strikes on Thursday landed as the head of the UN's World Health Organization said he and his team were preparing to fly out from Yemen's Houthi rebel-held capital

Yemen-based Houthis — the last of Iran-backed groups still fully present in the regional war that began 14 months ago — are slowly escalating attacks on Israel with an eye to avoid full-out retaliation.

As officials caution that ballistic missile and drone attacks from Yemen are likely to persist, Jerusalem is indicating that Thursday’s strikes are

The Israeli military said the airstrikes targeted infrastructure that the Houthis have used to bring Iranian weapons and officials into Yemen.

Israel launches waves of attacks across Yemen in retaliation for Houthi missile and drone strikes Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Israel Defense Forces warplanes hit Sanaa International Airport in the capital, which is controlled by the Houthis. Sources in Yemen also reported strikes on the port city of Hodeida.

Israeli forces on Thursday launched a massive barrage of strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen in the latest exchange of attacks between Israel and the Iranian-backed rebel group. The Israeli military said in a statement on the social platform X that fighter jets struck military targets on the western coast of Yemen.

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The strikes come as Israelis endure continued rocket attacks from the Houthi militia in Yemen even as attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip have diminished.