US Faces Backlash over Strikes on Yemeni Civilians, Cultural Sites
US airstrikes across Yemen have killed over 100 civilians and damaged a UNESCO World Heritage Site, prompting calls for accountability from US lawmakers.
US fighter jets launched a wave of heavy airstrikes across Yemen on Friday, targeting key areas in the provinces of Hodeidah and Sanaa.
The escalation comes amid growing calls from US lawmakers for accountability over the rising civilian toll caused by these military operations.
According to the Ansarallah media center, US warplanes struck the As-Salif district in Hodeidah and carried out additional raids on the Bani Hushaish district in Sanaa. Kamaran Island, located off the strategic Hodeidah coast, was also hit repeatedly. These attacks follow a string of recent strikes in Ma’rib, Amran, and other regions, signaling an expansion of the US-led military campaign.
The Yemeni Ministry of Health reports that at least 107 civilians, including women and children, have been killed in US airstrikes since mid-March, with another 223 injured.
The intensifying bombardment of populated areas has deepened the country’s humanitarian crisis, damaging infrastructure and increasing civilian casualties.
On Sunday, a US airstrike hit a residential neighborhood in the Old City of Sanaa—designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site—killing at least twelve people, according to the Yemeni Health Ministry.
Local officials said the bombing caused extensive damage to centuries-old structures, placing the city’s historic heritage in further jeopardy.
US Senators Protest Civilian Deaths
The rising civilian death toll has drawn criticism from several US lawmakers.
Senators Chris Van Hollen (Maryland), Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts), and Tim Kaine (Virginia) have sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding clarity on the Pentagon’s adherence to international law and civilian harm mitigation standards.
The senators described the administration’s approach as showing a “serious disregard” for human life, stating that President Donald Trump’s claims of being a “peacemaker” in his second term ring hollow amid mounting casualties.
They called for a full accounting of deaths in Yemen and detailed explanations of efforts to prevent further civilian harm.
A Defense Department spokesperson acknowledged reports of civilian casualties, stating that the Pentagon is reviewing them under standard procedures.
However, concerns have deepened since the Trump administration rolled back safeguards implemented during President Biden’s tenure to protect civilians in conflict zones.
Secretary Hegseth, a former Fox News host and Iraq War veteran, has previously criticized restrictive military rules of engagement.
In his 2024 book The War on Warriors, he wrote, “Our enemies should get bullets, not attorneys.” During his confirmation hearing, he pledged to uphold the Geneva Conventions, but added, “What we are not going to do is put international conventions above Americans.”
US-Israeli Alliance ‘Endangers Humanity’
In a televised address Thursday, Ansarallah leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi condemned the US military campaign in Yemen and linked it to Washington’s support for Israel’s war on Gaza.
He said the US-led coalition poses a serious threat to global humanity, accusing it of showing no concern for human life.
Al-Houthi criticized Arab governments for failing to support Gaza, stating that the Yemeni model of grassroots and official resistance offers a blueprint for solidarity with Palestine.
US Vs. Ansarallah: Will Trump Launch A Ground War in Yemen for Israel?
He also stated that Israeli forces have failed to meet their objectives in Gaza, despite more than a year and a half of intense warfare. The Ansarallah leader noted a growing shift in global public opinion, with increasing recognition of Israel as a repressive occupying power, even in Western societies, calling for unified action across the Arab and Muslim worlds to end the aggression on Palestinians.
Al-Houthi also referenced recent Ansarallah operations, including a surprise strike on Haifa, describing them as evidence of the US-led coalition’s failure. He vowed that Yemeni forces would continue targeting US and Israeli-linked maritime activity in the Red Sea and beyond.
“The arrival of another American aircraft carrier changes nothing,” Al-Houthi said. “Our capabilities remain intact, and our determination remains firm.”
(PC, Al Mayadeen)