Israeli airstrikes slaughter journalists in Yemen as media offices flattened in "war crime"
By isabelle // 2025-09-15
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  • Israel bombed Yemeni media offices, killing 46 and wounding 165, including journalists with no military ties.
  • Human Rights Watch confirmed the attack violated international law protecting civilian reporters.
  • Israel has systematically targeted journalists in Yemen, Gaza, and Lebanon to suppress coverage of its war crimes.
  • The strikes also killed 38 civilians, including children, in a densely populated Sanaa neighborhood.
  • The U.S. and UK, Israel’s allies, have remained silent despite global demands for accountability.
Israel’s relentless bombing campaign in Yemen took a disturbing turn this week, targeting journalists and media offices. On September 10, Israeli warplanes struck the offices of two major Yemeni newspapers, 26 September and Al-Yemen, killing dozens of reporters and wounding dozens more. The Yemeni Journalists Union condemned the attack as a "heinous war crime," while human rights groups warned that Israel is systematically silencing the press to hide its atrocities in Gaza and beyond. The strikes came amid escalating violence between Israel and Yemen’s Houthi movement, which has imposed a Red Sea shipping blockade in protest of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. But this was no ordinary military operation. The bombs fell on a densely populated neighborhood in Sanaa, flattening media offices and nearby homes, leaving 46 dead and more than 165 injured. Among the victims were journalists simply doing their jobs—printing newspapers, preparing reports, and documenting the truth.

A deliberate attack on the free press

The Israeli military claimed it was targeting the "Houthi Public Relations Department," a propaganda arm of the group. But according to the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate (YJS), the strike hit civilian reporters with no military ties. The union named nine slain journalists, including Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh, Abbas Al-Dailami, and Mohammed Al-Omeisi, and demanded an independent investigation into what it called a "blatant violation of international law." Human Rights Watch confirmed that the attack violated the laws of war, which protect journalists unless they are directly participating in military operations. "Radio and television facilities are civilian objects and cannot be targeted," the group stated. Yet Israel has repeatedly bombed media outlets—not just in Yemen, but in Gaza, where it has killed more than 100 journalists since October 2023. This isn’t the first time Israel has targeted journalists to control the narrative. In Gaza, entire families of reporters have been wiped out in airstrikes. In Lebanon, Israeli forces have bombed media offices. Now, in Yemen, the same playbook is unfolding—eliminate the witnesses, then claim self-defense. The timing is no coincidence. The Houthis have been exposing Israel’s war crimes, including its blockade of Gaza and attacks on civilian infrastructure. By destroying Yemen’s press, Israel ensures fewer voices remain to challenge its version of events.

The human cost of Israel’s war

Beyond the journalists, the strikes killed 38 civilians in residential areas, including children. Videos shared by Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV showed rescue workers pulling bloodied survivors from rubble as black smoke billowed over Sanaa. The Yemeni Health Ministry reported that the death toll could rise as more bodies are recovered. Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the bombings, declaring, "Whoever strikes us, whoever attacks us—we will reach them." But the Houthis, undeterred, have promised retaliation. Their leader, Mahdi al-Mashat, warned that Israel’s aggression "has only given us a greater opportunity to respond with full force." The international community has largely turned a blind eye to Israel’s escalating brutality. The U.S. and UK, which have also bombed Yemen in support of Israel, have yet to condemn the killings. The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate, backed by the International Federation of Journalists, is demanding justice—but in a world where Israel operates with impunity, will anyone be held accountable? Israel is not just fighting the Houthis. It is waging a war on truth itself. By bombing journalists, it sends a message: report on our crimes, and you will be next. Sources for this article include: News.Antiwar.com HRW.org IFJ.org BBC.co.uk
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