Yemeni Endowments Ministry Begins Overland Transport for Sana’a Pilgrims After Airport Bombing, Holds Houthis Responsible
Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
The Ministry of Endowments and Guidance in Yemen’s internationally recognized government announced the start of procedures to transport pilgrims stranded in Sana’a by land to the holy sites.
This comes after the Israeli shelling that targeted the last Yemenia Airlines plane designated for their transport, which halted all flights.
The Ministry stated in a press release that it has begun registering the remaining pilgrims (78 pilgrims) and taking measures to transport them via the Al-Wadea land crossing to ensure their arrival despite the circumstances.
The Ministry held the Houthi group “fully responsible” for the harm inflicted upon the pilgrims and for endangering their lives, describing their policies as “absurd” and “reckless,” and accusing them of “systematic aggression” against citizens’ religious and humanitarian rights.
It also strongly condemned the Israeli shelling of Sana’a International Airport, which forced dozens to return to their homes.
The Ministry affirmed its commitment from the outset to alleviate the suffering of the pilgrims, noting intensive efforts to coordinate with Saudi Arabia, which had agreed to operate direct flights from Sana’a to Jeddah. However, it pointed out that these facilitations “were met with rejection and intransigence by the Houthi group” without regard for the pilgrims’ lives.
The statement emphasized that “the Hajj file cannot tolerate any bidding or political exploitation,” confirming the Ministry’s commitment to exerting every effort to ensure the pilgrims’ arrival despite the “fabricated obstacles and dangers.”
It called on regional and international parties, aviation bodies, and human rights organizations to condemn Houthi practices and pressure to neutralize civil aviation and prevent its use “as a bargaining chip.”
Hours earlier, Yemenia Airways announced a complete and temporary halt to its flights from Sana’a Airport “until further notice” due to the shelling.
For his part, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant confirmed that Israeli Air Force planes carried out the strike, and threatened to continue destroying Sana’a Airport and striking Houthi strategic facilities.
The Israeli occupation army claimed that the civilian aircraft destroyed at the airport “were used by the Houthis to transport saboteurs against Israel.”
