Hundreds Mourn Yemen Journalists Killed in Israeli Air Strikes

Hundreds mourn 31 Yemeni journalists killed in Israeli air strikes on Sanaa (image source)

Hundreds of mourners gathered on Tuesday in rebel-held Sanaa for funeral services honouring 31 Yemeni journalists killed by Israeli air strikes last week, as grief over the loss of media workers ignited fresh calls for the protection of civilians amid the widening regional conflict.

The Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV broadcast live scenes from the Al-Rawda Mosque, showing dozens of caskets draped in white shrouds and lined up before an honour guard. Attendees chanted prayers and carried placards demanding accountability for the deaths, which Yemen’s health ministry in Sanaa says included civilians struck in residential zones, a military headquarters and a fuel station.

“We bury our colleagues today, but our demand for justice will never die,”— Khaled Rageh, correspondent at the funerals.

Local journalists say the strikes followed a Houthi drone attack on southern Israel’s Ramon Airport on 10 September, which Israel’s military reports breached its multilayered air defences and injured one civilian. Retaliatory strikes hit Sanaa’s outskirts on 11 September, with at least 46 fatalities reported, including the 31 media workers identified by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) as covering local events for outlets such as Al-Masirah and September 26 newspaper.

A senior CPJ representative, speaking anonymously due to restricted access, warned that verifying casualty details remains difficult under strict Houthi censorship. “We’re pushing for independent investigations, but on-the-ground reporting is almost impossible in Sanaa,” the source told the Associated Press.

Funeral Scenes and Eyewitness Accounts

Ahmed Malhy, a cameraman for a local news channel, described heavy rain thinning turnout at Tuesday’s service. “It was as if the heavens wept for those lost,” he said by phone. “Yet hundreds braved the storm to honour lives dedicated to truth.”

Footage shows mourners lining the route to the burial ground, carrying framed photographs of the fallen journalists.

The funerals took place amid damage to the National Museum of Yemen, whose façade was cracked by blast waves, and reports that a military facility in Hazm in Jawf province was also struck. Houthi authorities claim the targets were linked to Iran-backed militia operations, a claim Israel’s defence officials dispute, insisting civilian sites were collateral in counter-terrorism efforts.

Human Rights Watch senior Middle East researcher John Simpson condemned the strikes as a “flagrant disregard for civilian safety” and called for UN-mandated probes into the incident. “Journalists are non-combatants. Their deaths underscore the urgent need for clear protocols protecting media staff in conflict zones,” Simpson said in a press statement.

Meanwhile, Professor Nada al-Hamami of the University of Sana’a—speaking via encrypted messaging—argued the killings risk silencing independent reporting and emboldening extremist narratives. “Without journalists, information vacuums will be filled by propaganda, deepening mistrust and prolonging violence,” she warned.

Wider Conflict Context

The Sanaa strikes mark the latest episode in a 22-month exchange of drones and missiles between Houthi rebels and Israeli forces, rooted in solidarity claims with Palestinians amid the Gaza conflict.

• Houthi leaders assert their operations aim to support Gaza civilians.

• Israel counters that Houthi actions threaten Red Sea shipping lanes and regional stability.
  

Since April 2023, the Houthis have launched over 100 projectiles toward Israeli targets, prompting more than a dozen Israeli air campaigns on Yemeni soil. Civilian infrastructure—including schools, hospitals and residential blocks—has repeatedly borne the brunt, as documented by open-source investigators.

Calls for accountability are mounting. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged both parties to respect international humanitarian law and protect journalists. The UN Human Rights Council is expected to convene a special session in Geneva next week, focusing on press-safety measures in Yemen and beyond.