A ballistic missile fired from Yemen on Sunday has hit the perimeter of Israel’s main airport, Ben Gurion, located in Tel Aviv, bringing air traffic to a stop.
Israel’s military reported the missile landed in the vicinity of the airport after “several attempts” to intercept it failed. It was added that “the results of the interception are under review.” Eight people were injured according to paramedics, and a road and vehicle have been damaged.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack at Israel’s busiest airport. The group has repeatedly fired missiles at Israel but this appears to be the first time one has landed near the country’s main international airport, leading to a major breach of security at a highly protected site.
“We will attack whoever attacks us sevenfold,” Israel Katz, the country’s defense minister, maintained.
In a televised statement, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree warned airlines that Ben Gurion Airport was “no longer safe for air travel.”
Footage filmed by a bystander showing the moment that a Houthi ballistic missile impacted earlier in Central Israel. pic.twitter.com/IkddtO1KVW
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Flights resumed at the international airport of Ben Gurion after the attack forced the airport to temporarily halt operations. Trains to and from Ben Gurion were also halted, and police requested that the public stay away from the area. Sirens also blared across central Israel, prompting many to move into shelters, according to Israeli media.
Sunday’s strike marks the third consecutive day of missile launches from Yemen toward Israel, according to Israel’s Defense Forces.
Footage from the scene of the Houthi missile impact at Ben Gurion Airport. pic.twitter.com/rvIQnPplbg
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Attack at Israel’s airport comes amid continued bombardment of Houthi targets in Yemen
Israel has carried out several strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, including the targeting of a power plant and maritime ports in January.
At the same time, the US military has carried out far more extensive strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in recent weeks with an aim to weaken the group, whose attacks on Red Sea shipping have significantly disrupted global maritime trade.
Houthi-governed media reported many more US air raids on Yemen early on Sunday, according to Al Jazeera. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties as was the case in some of the other US strikes this week, including one on a migrant detention center that killed dozens of people.
The campaign is also aimed at stopping launches that target Israel, as well as commercial and US Navy vessels operating in the Middle East. Early last month, the cost of the US effort was determined to amount to almost $1 billion in just three weeks. This includes the deployment of B-2 stealth bombers and the use of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of high-end munitions.
Nonetheless, the bombing campaign has largely failed to disrupt the Houthis’ ability to launch ballistic missiles against Israel.
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