Saudi Airstrikes Hit Yemen as Sanaa Resists Riyadh for the Crime of Supporting ‘israel’ over Gaza

Yemen’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has condemned Saudi Arabia’s latest military escalation, saying the Kingdom’s intensified airstrikes are a direct result of Sana’a’s principled stance on the Palestinian cause, which it called “the central issue of the Islamic nation.”

In an official statement issued Wednesday, the ministry said Yemen’s solidarity with Palestine remains steadfast, adding that attempts to draw the country into internal conflict will not divert attention from Gaza.

The statement said Yemen was being targeted by Saudi Arabia over its “steadfast humanitarian stance,” adding that the continuing military operations were aimed at undermining the Palestinian cause.

The ministry also accused Riyadh of pursuing what it called “a Zionist agenda in Yemen and the region,” alleging that the Saudi-led military campaign and blockade have consistently served Israeli interests. It urged Saudi leaders to “break free from American and Israeli influence and return to the path of reason.”

Airstrikes hit multiple governorates.

Earlier Wednesday, Saudi warplanes conducted 43 airstrikes across several Yemeni governorates, including Marib, Al-Jawf, Taiz and Al-Hudaydah, according to Al-Mayadeen’s bureau chief in Yemen. The strikes were reportedly aimed at reinforcing Saudi military positions on the ground.

Yemeni armed forces are engaged in clashes with Saudi-backed troops on several fronts after launching preemptive strikes against enemy troop concentrations, military sources said.

Meanwhile, Saba news agency reported that Saudi artillery fire hit facilities affiliated with the Sana’a-based government and civilian homes in several governorates, heightening concerns about further casualties in a conflict already marked by widespread humanitarian suffering.

Conflict Deepens Amid Rising Regional Tensions

The escalation unfolds as the wider Middle East remains unsettled by the Gaza war, which has intensified public sentiment across the Arab world and drawn Yemen’s Houthi-led authorities into direct confrontations with Israel and its allies through missile attacks and operations in the Red Sea.

Saudi Arabia, which has led a military coalition against the Sana’a government since 2015, had previously indicated a willingness to pursue diplomacy. However, Wednesday’s offensive represents a significant break from recent de-escalation efforts.