Israeli Fighter Jets Continue Targeting Vital Civilian Facilities in Yemen
Mwatana for Human Rights stated in a press release today that the continued targeting of civilian objects and essential facilities in Yemen by Israeli fighter jets exacerbates the humanitarian crisis and amounts to war crimes.
Mwatana reported that on Thursday, December 19, 2024, at approximately 4:15 a.m., Israeli fighter jets conducted 11 airstrikes targeting the ports of Al Hudaydah, Al Salif, and Ras Isa in Al Hudaydah Governorate, northwest Yemen. The strikes killed nine civilians working at the three ports, injured three others critically, and caused extensive damage to the ports. This included the complete destruction of four tugboats used for pulling and pushing vessels, varying levels of damage to several containers and other equipment, and significant environmental damage due to fuel leakage into the sea. Fires caused by the burning fuel continued for hours, releasing smoke and pollutants into the air.
At 4:20 a.m. on the same day, Israeli fighter jets launched five airstrikes on the Hizyaz power plant in Sanhan and Bani Bahlul District of Sana’a, including two strikes on the plant’s main generators, two on auxiliary generators, and one on the plant’s fuel tank. These attacks caused significant damage, rendering the plant inoperative and cutting off electricity entirely to several areas and neighborhoods it supplied for days.
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Mwatana stated that its central and field teams conducted on-site visits to the locations of the airstrikes in Sanhan and Bani Bahlul District, the targeted ports in Al Hudaydah Governorate, Sana’a International Airport, and the Ras Kanatib Central Power Plant in Al Hudaydah. During these visits, the team conducted 25 interviews with survivors, eyewitnesses, employees, and local residents, inspected the targeted sites, assessed the damage caused by the attacks, and captured numerous photographs of the strike aftermath, remnants of the weapons, and other evidence.
During the visits to the attack sites, Mwatana’s team found remnants of the weapons used and shared them with international experts specializing in analyzing and examining weapon fragments. The experts concluded that the attacks on Al Hudaydah Port were carried out using GBU-39 small-diameter bombs, each weighing 250 pounds, precision-guided, and manufactured by the American company Boeing. These are the same munitions used in the previous attack on Al Hudaydah Port carried out by Israeli warplanes on July 20, 2024.
In the attacks on the Hizyaz power plant in Sana’a, the experts suggested that the munitions used were precision-guided weapons produced by Israel. Analysis of weapon remnants showed consistency with Israeli-made munitions such as Rampage, SPICE-250, SPICE-1000, and SPICE-2000, which are types of precision-guided munitions.
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Mwatana added that Israeli fighter jets continued targeting vital facilities essential to civilian populations in Yemen. On Thursday, December 26, 2024, at approximately 4:45 p.m., Israeli jets conducted 13 airstrikes on the Ras Kanatib Central Power Plant in Al Salif District, Al Hudaydah Governorate. The strikes injured eight civilian workers, completely destroyed the plant, and rendered it inoperative. Five 11/132 kV transformers and two 33/132 kV transformers were destroyed, along with all electrical breakers within the plant. The attacks also damaged a solar power project with a capacity of 35-37 megawatts and caused damage to five fuel tanks, each with a capacity of 2,500 cubic meters. Each tank supplied a unit generating 30 megawatts of power.
Mwatana further reported that on the same day, December 26, 2024, at approximately 5:00 p.m., Israeli jets launched seven airstrikes on Sana’a International Airport. The strikes targeted navigational equipment, the air traffic control tower, the departure hall, and other areas of the airport. These attacks occurred as a flight from Amman, Jordan, was arriving, mere minutes before the aircraft was scheduled to land. The strikes caused significant damage to the air traffic control tower, navigational equipment, and other airport facilities, killing and injuring at least 20 civilian victims, including airport employees and civilians who were at the airport to greet passengers. Mwatana obtained the names of seven victims, including the Country Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Yemen, an employee of Yemenia Airways, and five other civilians.
On the same day, Israeli jets also re-targeted Ras Isa Port in Al Hudaydah Governorate and the Hizyaz power plant in Sana’a with additional airstrikes, causing extensive damage to both facilities and killing four civilians while injuring two others.
Mwatana emphasized that Al Hudaydah Port, along with the ports of Al Salif and Ras Isa, serve as critical entry points for goods and essential supplies to areas under the control of the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group in Yemen. These supplies are vital for the survival of millions of civilians in these areas. Repeated attacks on these critical facilities will significantly and directly affect the ports’ ability to receive and unload shipments of essential goods, including food, medicine, and fuel.
Mwatana noted that this was the third attack on the Ras Kanatib Central Power Plant in Al Hudaydah Governorate. The first occurred in 2018, carried out by the Saudi/UAE-led coalition, causing partial damage. The second attack, on July 20, 2024, by Israeli jets, disabled more than 50% of the plant. The latest attack completely destroyed the plant, rendering it entirely out of service. Similarly, the Hizyaz power plant in Sana’a was targeted after being repaired and restored to operation. Many power plants, including the Hizyaz Central Power Plant and other vital civilian facilities, have been repeatedly targeted by warring parties over the years, resulting in their partial or total shutdown at various stages of the conflict.
It is worth noting that the Ras Kanatib Central Power Plant supplies electricity to Al Hudaydah Governorate and several other governorates. Restoring the plant to operation will cost billions of dollars since it has been completely destroyed and will require significant time and effort. This will negatively affect the availability of electricity, potentially forcing individuals to rely on alternative power sources such as solar panels or commercial electricity [private sector-owned electricity]. Both alternatives are costly and beyond the reach of most residents, particularly in Al Hudaydah, due to the limited incomes of the civilian population in the governorate and elsewhere. The situation could worsen during the summer, given the increased need for electricity in coastal areas, including Al Hudaydah, for cooling purposes amid extremely high temperatures. Similarly, the Hizyaz Power Station, which supplies electricity to several districts in Sana’a Governorate, continues to be targeted by Israeli forces, limiting residents’ access to sufficient electricity in the areas served by the plant.
Radhya Al-Mutawakel, Chairperson of Mwatana for Human Rights, stated, “The repeated targeting of vital civilian infrastructure in Yemen constitutes a war crime, exacerbates the humanitarian crisis, and deepens the suffering of civilians. Civilians are the primary victims of such attacks on essential facilities.” She added, “Israeli forces must adhere to the principles and rules of international humanitarian law and cease targeting civilians and critical civilian infrastructure. The suffering and damage caused by these attacks persist daily, flagrantly disregarding international laws and norms, while the international community, including states supporting Israel, remains silent.”
The airstrikes have caused widespread panic among civilians living near the targeted sites, as well as among survivors, workers, and civilians at the two power plants in Sana’a and Al Hudaydah, the targeted ports in Al Hudaydah, and Sana’a International Airport.
An eyewitness and employee at the Hizyaz Power Plant in Sanhan and Bani Bahlul District (a 36-year-old male) told Mwatana, “After the bombing, flames were blazing in front of me, and the image of my wife and children appeared before me in the fire.”
Another eyewitness (a 42-year-old male) recounted, “When I returned home, I found my wife and children waiting for me. I hugged my children as they and my wife cried, and I cried with them out of fear.”
A 40-year-old woman residing near the Hizyaz Power Plant stated, “After the first missile, the fire started. My 9-year-old son went to the window to see what was happening, and then another strike hit. Flames erupted, and he ran to me shouting, ‘Death is here! We’re all going to die!’”
Meanwhile, a surviving worker at Al Hudaydah Port described to Mwatana what happened: “When I heard the first explosion, I was near my friend. I held onto him tightly, and without thinking, we threw ourselves into the sea to escape death. It felt like Judgment Day. Explosions followed, and the place was engulfed in flames. Every time I raised my head above the water, I saw fire surrounding the area, forcing my friend and me to stay submerged—because above water was certain death.”
A female survivor at Sana’a International Airport (35 years old) recounted to Mwatana: “We were waiting for my relative arriving on a flight from Jordan. We were in the car in the parking lot when suddenly the control tower exploded in front of us. Shortly after, we heard another explosion near the airport waiting area. People were flying through the air like it was the Day of Judgment. Everyone was trying to save themselves. We crawled on our knees to escape the area.”
A male victim at the airport (50 years old) told Mwatana: “I was in the airport parking lot when I heard the first strike, followed by a second, and then five consecutive strikes, with five to ten minutes between each. The control tower disintegrated before our eyes. I evacuated my family from the parking lot to a safer place because one car’s fuel tank had exploded, and I feared the fires would spread. The site was filled with panic, fear, and screaming. As I was moving my family, I realized I was injured and blood was pouring from my hand. I underwent three surgeries to remove shrapnel. I can never forget what happened.”
A 62-year-old male survivor at the Ras Katanib Central Power Plant in Al Hudaydah told Mwatana: “I saw death and thought of my family. I was stumbling from one place to another, trying to escape. There was no safe spot… The plant feels like a mother to me, and I can’t imagine leaving it despite the repeated bombings and risks. There’s nowhere else to go. I’ve worked here for 40 years, and now I see it utterly destroyed and desolate.”
It is worth noting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened to target Yemen’s strategic infrastructure, including Al Hudaydah Port. On the morning of December 19, 2024, he announced that the Israeli Defense Forces had struck strategic Houthi targets in Al Hudaydah Port and Yemen’s interior. Additionally, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz stated during his visit to the Israeli Air Force Center on December 19, 2024, that Israel would strike the Houthis forcefully in Yemen and target their strategic infrastructure, adding, “As we did in Gaza and Lebanon, we will do in Sana’a and Al Hudaydah in Yemen.”
On the other hand, UN officials have warned about the continued targeting of vital infrastructure in Yemen by Israel, particularly Al Hudaydah Port, which serves as a lifeline for millions of civilians.
It is worth noting that this is the fourth time Israeli fighter jets have targeted vital facilities in Yemen, including the ports of Al Hudaydah, Al Salif, and Ras Issa, within a few months. The first attack on the Al Hudaydah port occurred on July 20, 2024, when Israeli warplanes carried out six coordinated strikes on oil facilities, fuel storage tanks, the wharf, and cranes at Al Hudaydah Port, as well as the central power station in the Al Kathib area of Al Salif District, Al Hudaydah Governorate. These strikes completely disabled all electricity supply stations serving Al Hudaydah City and caused extensive damage. The second attack took place on September 29, 2024, targeting the Al Hali Power Station in Al Hali District, the power station servicing Al Hudaydah Port in Al Mina District, the Ras Katanib Power Station in the Al Kathib area of Al Salif District, and the fuel storage tanks at Ras Issa Port in Al Hudaydah Governorate. These repeated attacks have inflicted widespread destruction and severe damage to the infrastructure, equipment, and contents of the three ports and the power generation stations.
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Mwatana for Human Rights has called on the international community, including the United Nations, influential states—especially those supporting Israel—and various human rights organizations to put an end to Israel’s brutal actions and work toward halting the atrocities and violations it commits daily against civilians in many regions, particularly Yemen.
Mwatana reiterated its call to strengthen international accountability and justice, end the prevailing culture of impunity, ensure the perpetrators are held accountable, provide redress for the victims, promote global peace, and safeguard human life, rights, and freedoms.
