Israeli airstrikes targeted Yemen’s international airport and other key sites in the capital, Sanaa, on Thursday, killing at least six people, according to Huthi rebel media reports.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, confirmed he was at the airport when the strikes occurred, revealing that one of his plane’s crew members was injured.

The Israeli military has yet to comment on whether they were aware of his presence during the attack.

The airstrikes, which targeted military facilities, power stations, and the airport, come as tensions between Israel and the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels escalate.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, warned that the strikes would continue until the “job is done” and reiterated the country’s determination to sever ties with Iran’s “axis of evil.”

The UN has expressed concern about the growing violence, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemning the strikes as “especially alarming.”

Tedros, who was in Yemen to discuss the release of detained UN staff and assess the humanitarian crisis, explained on social media that he and his team were preparing to board their flight when the airport was bombed.

The attacks damaged key areas of the airport, including the air traffic control tower and the departure lounge.

The airport, which had been targeted by more than six attacks, is expected to reopen on Friday.

Alongside the strikes on the airport, additional airstrikes hit a power station in Hodeida, killing six people, according to Huthi sources.

The violence has sparked protests from the Huthis, who condemned the Israeli actions as a “Zionist crime” against the Yemeni people.

A spokesman for the Huthis also linked the airstrikes to a missile and drone assault on Israel the previous day.

In its response, the Israeli military stated that its strikes targeted military infrastructure used by the Huthi regime, which it accused of smuggling Iranian weapons into the region and allowing senior Iranian officials to enter.

Israel views the Huthis as a key player in the Iranian-led “axis of resistance.”

Iran has condemned the Israeli strikes as a violation of international peace and security.

The Palestinian group Hamas also condemned the attacks, describing them as an act of aggression against Yemen.

Tensions have been high between Israel and the Huthis, especially since the group has fired a series of missile and drone strikes at Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.

In retaliation, Israel has repeatedly targeted Huthi-controlled ports and energy facilities in Yemen.

Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, vowed Thursday that the country would continue to target Huthi leaders, stating that no one would be able to escape Israel’s reach.

He also warned that the Huthis would “pay a very heavy price” for their actions.

Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since 2014, with the Huthis seizing control of the capital, Sanaa, and forcing the internationally recognized government into exile.

The conflict has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, exacerbated by the intervention of a Saudi-led coalition backing the government.

South Korean lawmakers have impeached acting president Han Duck-soo on Friday, plunging the country deeper into political turmoil just two weeks after his predecessor, President Yoon Suk Yeol, was suspended over a controversial martial law declaration.

Han, a career bureaucrat who had been serving as prime minister, stepped in as acting president on December 14 following Yoon’s impeachment by parliament on charges of insurrection.

However, opposition lawmakers have now moved to strip Han of his duties, accusing him of failing to follow through with Yoon’s impeachment process and bring him to justice.

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik confirmed the impeachment, stating, “Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s impeachment motion has passed. Of the 192 lawmakers who voted, 192 voted in favor of impeachment.”

Lawmakers from the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) protested loudly after Woo announced that only a simple majority was required for impeachment to pass, rather than the two-thirds majority needed to remove Yoon.

PPP lawmakers chanted angrily and demanded Woo’s resignation, but they did not participate in the vote.

Friday’s impeachment marked a historic moment, as it was not only the second impeachment of a head of state in just two weeks but also South Korea’s first-ever impeachment of an acting president.

PPP leader Kweon Seong-dong insisted that Han must continue leading the country, despite the opposition’s victory.

However, Han acknowledged the parliament’s decision in a statement, saying he would respect it and wait for the Constitutional Court’s ruling on whether the impeachment would stand.

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who has now assumed the roles of both acting president and prime minister, pledged to work towards minimizing the government’s instability during this crisis.

“Minimizing governmental turmoil is of utmost importance at this moment,” Choi said, emphasizing the government’s commitment to overcoming the current upheaval.

As the political crisis deepens, South Korea’s currency, the won, hit a 16-year low against the US dollar, and the KOSPI stock index fell by 1.02 percent on Friday.

The dispute over Han’s impeachment largely centered on his refusal to appoint additional judges to the Constitutional Court, which is set to decide whether to uphold the impeachment of both Yoon and Han.

With the court currently short of three judges, the opposition criticized Han for blocking the appointment of new judges, stalling the judicial process.

Democratic Party lawmaker Jo Seoung-lae condemned Han’s actions, calling them a “direct challenge to the Constitution and the law” and accusing him of intentionally obstructing the special investigation into the martial law declaration.

The opposition’s impeachment motion also cited Han’s failure to fulfill his duties and serve the public.

In his defense, Han argued that he was waiting for a compromise between the ruling and opposition parties on the appointments of new judges.

He emphasized that the constitution and laws required significant consensus between the parties before such decisions could be made.

Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court held a preliminary hearing on the validity of Yoon’s impeachment, with the suspended president’s legal team attending.

Police have also launched an investigation into the martial law declaration, raiding a presidential safe house and collecting footage from nearby security cameras.

Violence across Mozambique has led to the deaths of at least 125 people in just three days, as opposition protests over the presidential election results turn deadly, according to a report from a non-governmental organization.

The unrest follows the October 9 presidential election, which saw Daniel Chapo of the ruling Frelimo party, in power since 1975, declared the winner with 65.17% of the vote.

Despite concerns raised by international observers about potential irregularities in the election process, the country’s highest court upheld the results earlier this week.

The announcement triggered a wave of protests from opposition groups, which frequently escalated into violent clashes with police, widespread looting, and the burning of buildings, including supermarkets.

The government reported 21 deaths within the first 24 hours of unrest, which began on Tuesday, with violence spreading across several major cities.

On Wednesday, clashes at a prison near the capital Maputo led to the deaths of at least 33 inmates during a failed mass escape attempt.

The national police chief confirmed the tragic toll, adding to the growing number of casualties.

By Thursday, the NGO Plataforma Decide had updated the death toll to 125 people, raising the total number of fatalities linked to the election-related violence since October to 252.

The hardest-hit areas include the capital Maputo, the northern provinces, and Beira, the second-largest city.

In addition, more than 4,000 individuals have been arrested in connection with the protests, including 137 in the last three days alone.

Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who has been exiled, has vehemently criticized the election results, claiming the vote was rigged.

Mondlane further accused security forces of fostering unrest and looting in order to justify declaring a state of emergency and suppressing the protests.