Houthi missile: A missile fired from Yemen by the Houthi rebel group landed near the main terminal of Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning, according to Israeli authorities.
Unverified footage shared online appeared to show drivers on a nearby road pulling over to take cover as the projectile struck, generating a plume of black smoke near the airport, located on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.
Four individuals were reported injured by the blast, with an additional two sustaining injuries while trying to reach a shelter, as cited by Israeli media and emergency services. Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, issued a statement saying, “Anyone who hits us, we will hit them seven times harder.
” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree declared in a televised address that the Israeli airport is “no longer safe for air travel.”
The airport has since reopened to flights after temporarily suspending operations. Sirens were activated in multiple parts of the country as the missile approached, and the Israeli Air Force is investigating why it was not intercepted.
Senior Israeli police commander Yair Hetzroni showed reporters a crater caused by the missile’s impact, indicating that it had landed beside a road near a parking lot of Terminal 3.
“You can see the scene right behind us here—a hole with a diameter of several meters and also several meters deep,Hetzroni said, adding that there was no significant damage.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with ministers and defense officials on Sunday to discuss a response, as reported by Israel’s Channel 12 News.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group based in Yemen, have regularly launched missile attacks at Israel in support of Hamas in Gaza. However, it is uncommon for their missiles to penetrate Israel’s sophisticated air defenses.
The group has also been conducting attacks on ships in the Red Sea, which prompted the US to lead a bombing campaign against them, with support from the UK.
