Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a multi-layered response to Yemen’s Houthis following a missile strike on Israel’s primary airport area.
“We have taken action against them previously, and we will continue to do so. However, I cannot provide specifics (…) this will not be a single event. Rather, there will be multiple actions,” Mr. Netanyahu stated in a video shared on the Telegram messaging platform.
The Israeli military confirmed that a missile that impacted within the confines of Ben Gurion Airport was launched from Yemen, after the Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack.
“At approximately 9:18 am [local time], the Israeli army identified a missile launch from Yemen targeting Israeli territory.
The missile injured six individuals, interrupted flight operations, and created a large crater in an attack attributed to Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The Israeli military reported that “multiple attempts were made to intercept” the missile, marking a rare Houthi incursion that breached Israel’s air defenses.
A video released by Israel’s police depicted officers near a deep crater, with the control tower visible in the background. No damage to airport structures or runways was reported.
The police reported a “missile impact” at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s main international hub.
An AFP photographer indicated that the missile struck near the parking areas of Terminal 3, the airport’s largest terminal, with the crater located less than a kilometer from the nearest tarmac.
Watch: Footage of the crater near Ben Gurion Airport in Israel
“You can observe the area just behind us: a crater has formed here, several dozen meters wide and deep,” stated Yair Hezroni, central Israel’s police chief, in the video shared by the police force.
The assault was claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who assert their actions are in support of Palestinians in the conflict-ridden Gaza.
“The missile units of the Yemeni armed forces executed a military operation targeting Ben Gurion Airport” with a “hypersonic ballistic missile,” the Houthis announced in a statement, referencing their own military capabilities.
The military wing of Hamas commended the strike.
“Yemen… intensifies its operations against the heart of the illegitimate Zionist entity, surpassing the most advanced defense systems globally and striking its targets accurately,” stated Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.
Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service reported treating at least six individuals with light to moderate injuries.
Members of Israeli security services examine the crater near a road outside Ben Gurion airport
An AFP journalist present at the airport during the strike noted hearing a “loud bang” around 9:35 am local time, adding that “the reverberation was quite intense.”
“Security personnel promptly instructed hundreds of passengers to seek shelter, with some directed to bunkers,” the journalist reported.
“Numerous passengers are currently waiting for flights to depart, while others are searching for alternative travel options.”
An Air India flight en route was redirected to Abu Dhabi, as indicated by an airport official.
Commitment to retaliate
Israel’s airport authority announced that “departures and arrivals have resumed” at Ben Gurion shortly after being interrupted due to the missile attack.
The airport “is open and functioning,” stated the aviation authority in an announcement.
Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed a robust response, asserting: “Anyone who attacks us, we will retaliate sevenfold.”
The Houthi rebels, who control extensive territories in Yemen, have consistently launched missiles and drones targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping amid the Gaza conflict, claiming to act in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
On the previous day, the Houthis announced a third missile attack on Israel within a span of two days.
Passengers wait by their luggage outside Israel’s Ben Gurion airport
The vast majority of missiles launched by the Houthis since the onset of the Gaza conflict have been intercepted by Israeli air defenses.
The Yemeni rebels had momentarily halted their attacks during a recent two-month ceasefire in the Gaza war.
However, in March, they warned of resuming strikes on international shipping in response to Israel’s aid blockade on Gaza.
This prompted a reaction from the U.S. military, which initiated near-daily airstrikes against the rebels starting March 15 to prevent them from posing a threat to shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
U.S. strikes against the rebels began under former President Joe Biden but intensified under his successor, Donald Trump.
Since March, the United States has reported striking over 1,000 targets in Yemen.
