Missile from Yemen Strikes Near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, Disrupting Air Traffic
In a statement, the group said, “The missile force of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a military operation targeting Ben Gurion Airport with a hypersonic ballistic missile.”
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — A missile fired from Yemen struck near Israel’s main international airport on Sunday, briefly halting flights and prompting vows of retaliation from Israeli officials, according to the French news agency AFP.
The Houthi rebels, who control much of northern Yemen and are backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, the group said, “The missile force of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a military operation targeting Ben Gurion Airport with a hypersonic ballistic missile.” The attack, they added, was in support of the Palestinians in Gaza.
Israeli police confirmed a "missile impact" near Ben Gurion International Airport, located just outside Tel Aviv, after the military reported that "several attempts were made to intercept" the projectile. It remains unclear whether the explosion was the result of a direct missile strike or the interception itself.
Police footage showed a large crater in an orchard with the airport’s control tower visible in the distance. "You can see the area just behind us: a crater was formed here, several dozen meters wide and several dozen meters deep," said Yair Hezroni, head of the police's central district, in a video from the scene.
AFP journalists reported hearing explosions near Jerusalem and around the airport, where air raid sirens had been triggered in multiple areas.
Flight operations at Ben Gurion Airport were briefly interrupted due to the attack but resumed shortly thereafter. “Departures and arrivals have resumed... the airport is open and operational,” Israel’s aviation authority announced.
In response, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned of a strong retaliatory strike. “Anyone who hits us, we will hit them seven times stronger,” he said.
This latest strike comes after the Houthis claimed a series of missile attacks on Israel in recent days, escalating their involvement in the region’s conflicts. Since Hamas launched a large-scale cross-border assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing civilians and taking hostages, the group has repeatedly targeted Israel and international shipping in the Red Sea, framing its actions as solidarity with the Palestinians.
While most of the Houthi-fired projectiles have been intercepted by Israeli defense systems, Sunday’s incident underscores the growing reach and persistence of the group’s missile capabilities amid rising regional volatility.
Missile from Yemen Strikes Near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, Disrupting Air Traffic!
— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) May 4, 2025
In a statement, the group said, “The missile force of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a military operation targeting Ben Gurion Airport with a hypersonic ballistic missile.”
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