An Israeli airstrike has reduced a residential neighborhood to rubble in central Sanaa, capital of Yemen, with homes destroyed, smoke still rising from debris, and family belongings scattered in the ruins.
The strike, which took place on Wednesday, targeted a building housing the 26 September and Al-Yemen newspapers, also causing significant civilian casualties and forcing many residents to flee to safer areas.
Multiple targets controlled by the Houthis were hit in the strike. Although residential buildings were not directly struck, many collapsed due to powerful blast waves, trapping civilians under debris. According to Houthi reports, the attack left 46 dead and 165 injured.
"This was Abdullah Shabami's house. His son Osama's wife, who was a doctor, was killed in the Israeli airstrike. This is Azzub's home, right here. Can you imagine five families losing their homes overnight? Ahmed Azzub himself was also killed, and his daughter is still in the hospital. We struggled for hours to pull her out from the rubble," said Ibrahim Faki, a resident of the attacked neighborhood, walking through the rubble.
Yemenis held rallies in Sanaa and other places on Friday and Saturday to protest against Israeli air strikes on many areas of Yemen, and express their anger at Israel's military operations in Gaza and their support for the Palestinian people.
Recently, the security situation in Yemen and the Middle East has been escalating.
Demonstrators condemned Israel's attacks on civilian targets in Yemen, and protested against Israel's ongoing killing and expulsion in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli airstrike destroys residential area in Yemeni capital, leaving grieving families
Israeli airstrike destroys residential area in Yemeni capital, leaving grieving families
Israeli airstrike destroys residential area in Yemeni capital, leaving grieving families
The three astronauts of China's recently-returned Shenzhou-20 mission on Friday shared the experiences of their dramatic 204-day space mission, including detailing the emergency procedures which were implemented to bring them safely home after their return capsule was struck by space debris.
The trio -- Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie -- met with the press in Beijing on Friday afternoon, marking their first public appearance since returning to Earth in November.
When detailing the emergency response mechanisms which were enacted prior to their scheduled return, the astronauts explained that upon discovering a triangular crack on the spacecraft's viewport window, they immediately took photos for documentation and transmitted them to the ground team, who swiftly activated an emergency plan to get the trio home safely.
Experienced mission commander Chen Dong explained how the crew had complete faith in their colleagues on the ground to find a solution to these unforeseen circumstances which led to their return being delayed.
"First, we must trust the ground team, who would anticipate everything and develop the safest return plan for us. Second, we must believe in ourselves; as well-trained astronauts, we have the ability to manage various unexpected failures. I believe that with the collaboration of astronauts and researchers on the ground, our space home will surely go farther, more steadily, and for a longer time," he said.
Following their extended stay in space as a result of the debris incident, the Shenzhou-20 crew spent a total 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest duration by a single group of Chinese astronauts.
During their mission, they completed multiple payload operations, conducted extensive scientific experiments, and carried out four extravehicular activities.
"Our crew worked together with the ground team in unity and coordination, completing four extravehicular activities, several payload entry and exit tasks, and a large number of scientific experiments. It was a fulfilling yet challenging mission. The path to exploring the heavens is long and arduous, but I firmly believe that China's space missions will succeed," said Chen Zhongrui, a former air force pilot who was making his first spaceflight during the mission.
"From the ground to space, from learning to application, I have deeply felt the solid progress of Chinese space endeavors and the quiet dedication of countless personnel behind the scenes. In the future, I will accomplish each mission with full commitment, living up to the trust of the motherland and the people," said fellow astronaut Wang Jie, who was also making his debut spaceflight.
After returning to Earth on Nov 14, the trio successfully completed their isolation recovery and rehabilitation and will now resume normal training following health assessments.
The crew's return, originally scheduled for Nov 5, was postponed due to safety concerns, with the astronauts later using the return capsule belonging to their successor crew of the Shenzhou-21 mission to get back to Earth. China later launched the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecraft which will serve the future return of the crew now aboard the Tiangong Space Station.
Shenzhou-20 astronauts share experiences after safely returning from debris incident
