Israeli airstrikes hit Yemeni capital, but no casualties reported

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CAIRO (AP) — Israeli airstrikes on Thursday rocked the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, which is under the control of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, the Houthis and the Israeli military said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The strikes hit densely populated areas of Sanaa, including a neighborhood on the western side of the city where resident Hussein Salem said he saw plumes of smoke rising.

“It’s like an earthquake,” Salem said.

The Israeli military said it hit a Houthi “military target” in Sanaa without offering further details.

Thursday's attack came after the Israeli military said earlier in the day that it had intercepted a drone launched toward Israel by the rebels, the third such strike in the past week.

Israeli airstrikes on the Yemini capital on Sunday killed at least 10 people. Those strikes hit a military site near the presidential palace, a power plant and an oil facility controlled by the Houthis, according to the Houthis and the Israeli military.

Tensions in the region were high Thursday as France, Germany and the United Kingdom started a process to reimpose U.N. sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

The mechanism, known as “snapback,” could freeze Iranian assets abroad, halt arms deals, and put renewed sanctions on its ballistic missile program. It is designed to be veto-proof at the U.N. and is likely to go into effect.

Iran condemned the European nations' move as “unjustified, illegal, and lacking any legal basis."

The Houthis have launched missiles and drones toward Israel and targeted ships in the Red Sea throughout Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The rebels say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians.

In response to the Houthi attacks, Israel and a United States-led coalition pounded the rebels-held areas in Yemen, including Sanaa and the strategic coastal city of Hodeida, with heavy strikes for months. Israeli strikes knocked the Sanaa airport out of service in May.

The Trump administration announced a deal with the Houthis to end the airstrikes in return for an end to attacks on shipping in May. The rebels, however, said the agreement did not include halting attacks on targets it believed were aligned with Israel.