(MENAFN) Yemen's Houthi group has pledged to strike back at Israel following Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday that reportedly killed seven and injured 97, according to Houthi-controlled health officials. The airstrikes heavily damaged Sanaa International Airport and Amran province near the capital.

Khaled Al-Shaif, the director general of the Sanaa airport, stated on television channel on Wednesday that "All flights to and from the airport have been suspended until further notice after the airport was destroyed by the Israeli aggression airstrikes."

Al-Shaif reported that the Israeli attacks on Sanaa airport caused "heavy losses," detailing that the runway, control tower, radar systems, terminal buildings (including departure and arrival halls), and the offices of passport control, customs, and security were all "destroyed."

He assessed that "the losses ... could amount to approximately 500 million U.S. dollars," and cautioned that "It will take a very long time" to rebuild the vital transportation hub.

Following the Israeli airstrikes, several prominent Houthi figures, via television channel, vowed retaliation against Israel, promising imminent attacks.

Israeli media sources indicate that Tuesday's Israeli airstrikes were a response to a Houthi missile attack on Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Sunday morning, which injured eight Israelis.

The Houthis have been targeting Israel since November 2023, citing their solidarity with Palestinians following the commencement of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.

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