February 5th: A Day of Targeting Fishermen, Children, and Paramedics in the Record of Aggression’s Crimes
February 5th marks another chapter of pain and suffering in Yemen’s history, a chapter written in the blood of innocents by the killing machine of the American-Saudi-Emirati aggression. On this day, and for years afterward, the most heinous forms of criminality have been manifested in the direct targeting of fishermen at sea, children playing among the rubble, and civilians in their homes and farms. It is a day that reveals the brutal nature of an aggression that was not content with destroying infrastructure, but deliberately sought to kill people and crush all hope for life, leaving deep wounds in the body of Yemen and the memory of its people.
2016: Bombing of Fuel Stations and Targeting of Paramedics
On February 5, 2016, the aggression’s warplanes launched an airstrike on a fuel station on 50th Street in Hodeidah, injuring a civilian and causing significant material damage to homes.
In the Sarwah district of Ma’rib, the aggression not only destroyed a citizen’s home and injured a woman, but also committed a compounded crime by targeting the vehicle of citizen Mus’ad al-Habari while he was transporting the wounded to a hospital, resulting in its complete destruction by fire, in flagrant violation of all humanitarian laws. The airstrikes also targeted residential areas in the capital, Sana’a, and Sana’a Governorate.
2017: The Fishermen’s Massacre and the Destruction of Water Projects
February 5, 2017, witnessed one of the most horrific massacres against civilians, when the aggression’s warplanes targeted fishing boats off Tarfa Island, near the coast of Hodeidah. This resulted in the martyrdom of five fishermen, the injury of six others, and the disappearance of 13, in a full-fledged war crime.
In the al-Tuhayta district, airstrikes targeted a citizen’s farm, destroying a solar-powered water project and causing the death of several cows, in a declared war on the livelihoods of Yemenis. Al-Mukha in Taiz also witnessed intense bombardment with more than 53 airstrikes, coinciding with artillery shelling by mercenaries on residential neighborhoods.
2018: Cluster Bombs Claim the Lives of Children and Civilians
On February 5, 2018, the deadly remnants of the aggression were starkly evident, as four children were injured by a cluster bomb explosion in the Abs district of Hajjah.
In Saada Governorate, the aggression’s warplanes committed two horrific massacres. The first, in the Baqim district, resulted in the deaths of six civilians and injuries to seven others. The second, in the Majz district, claimed the lives of four civilians and wounded seven others, in a direct attack targeting civilian vehicles. The aggression continued with dozens of airstrikes on Hajjah, Saada, and Sana’a.
2019: Children Targeted and Medical College in Hodeidah Bombed
On February 5, 2019, a child was injured by mercenary fire in the Al-Tuhayta district of Hodeidah, which witnessed a dangerous escalation. Mercenaries fired more than 15 artillery shells at civilian homes and the medical college in the Al-Rabsa neighborhood, directly targeting civilians and educational facilities.
The mercenaries continued their heavy shelling of the Ad-Durayhimi district and Hodeidah airport, coinciding with Saudi airstrikes and missile attacks on Saada, Hajjah, and Al-Jawf.
2020: Border Crimes and Continued Bombing of Al-Jawf and Hodeidah
On February 5, 2020, a civilian was killed by Saudi border guard fire in the Ar-Raqw area of the Munabbih border district in Saada, whose villages were subjected to intense missile and artillery shelling.
The air force launched numerous raids on the governorates of Al-Jawf, Sana’a, and Ma’rib, while the mercenaries continued targeting residential neighborhoods in Hodeidah city and its districts with machine guns and Katyusha rockets.
2021–2023: Continued Casualties from Aggression and its Remnants
The crimes continued on February 5th throughout these years. In 2021, three children were injured by an explosion of a bomb left over from the aggression in Saada.
In 2022, three civilians were killed and five others wounded by Saudi army fire in the border districts of Munabbih and Shada. Sana’a International Airport was also repeatedly targeted by airstrikes.
In 2023, a civilian and six African migrants were wounded by Saudi fire in Munabbih. Violations continued in Hodeidah, including reconnaissance flights and the construction of new fortifications.
Blood that will not dry, crimes that will not be forgotten.
February 5th stands as further evidence of the war of extermination waged by the aggression against the Yemeni people. From targeting fishermen at sea to killing children with cluster bombs and targeting paramedics, the true nature of this aggression, devoid of all human values, is revealed.
The blood spilled on this day will remain a curse haunting the killers and fueling the steadfastness of a people who have sworn never to relinquish their land, dignity, and sovereignty.