Israeli air strikes in Yemen have targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general said the bombardment occurred as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa, injuring a crew member.

“The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few metres from where we were — and the runway were damaged,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X, adding that he and WHO colleagues were safe.

“We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave.”

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The Israeli strikes followed several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel.

The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports at Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib along with power stations.

The latest strikes came a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad’s regime and others learned”. Mr Netanyahu monitored the new strikes along with military leaders, his government said.

The Iran-backed Houthis’ media outlet confirmed the strikes in a Telegram post but gave no immediate details. The US military has also targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days.

The United Nations has noted that the ports are important entry points for humanitarian aid.

Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in Tel Aviv.

Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor in what it says is an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.