Houthi’s hypersonic ballistic missile hits Ben Gurion Airport in aftermath of UK/US bombings against Yemen

2 months ago
Houthi’s hypersonic ballistic missile hits Ben Gurion Airport in aftermath of UK/US bombings against Yemen

By Abdul Adil

London, (The Muslim News): Yemen’s Houthi [Ansar Allah] group said on Sunday that they had launched a hypersonic ballistic missile targeting Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, warning international airlines that the Israeli airport is “unsafe for civilian aviation.” The attack follows a joint UK-US airstrike in northern Yemen on April 29.

In a televised statement, the group’s military spokesman, Yahya Saree, stated that the missile successfully struck its intended target, adding that another “vital target” in the coastal city of Ashkelon was also hit.

Meanwhile, US warplanes launched two fresh airstrikes in northern Yemen on Sunday, the Houthi group said.

The Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV said the two strikes targeted Khab wa Ash Sha’af district in Al-Jawf province.

No details were yet available about casualties or damage from the attacks.

There was no immediate comment from the US on the Houthi report.

Meanwhile in Israel, Israeli authorities suspended all flights at Ben Gurion Airport after the missile launched from Yemen struck the airport.

Israel’s emergency service, Magen David Adom, said that “several people sustained minor injuries due to a missile falling near Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion Airport.”

Israeli media said that nine international airlines suspended their flights to Tel Aviv following the Houthi attack.

According to Israeli Channel 13, Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines, Air India, ITA Airways, and Air Europa canceled scheduled flights to Tel Aviv.

Hungarian airline Wizz Air announced the suspension of its flights to Israel until Tuesday morning, according to Israel Hayom newspaper. US-based United Airlines and Ireland’s Ryanair also suspended Sunday flights, Channel 12 reported.

An Air India flight en route to Israel turned back to New Delhi while flying over Jordan, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.

Air India says it has suspended flights to Tel Aviv until Tuesday after a missile attack on Israel’s main international airport.

“Our operations to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended with immediate effect till May 6, 2025, to ensure the safety of our customers and staff,” the airline said in a statement.

According to Al Jazeera, Wizzair, Lufthansa, Air Europa, Air France, Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines also halted flights to Israel.

Meanwhile, a British Airways flight departing from London was delayed for two hours amid uncertainty over whether it would proceed to Tel Aviv.

Israeli media also reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to hold a high-level security meeting Sunday afternoon to discuss potential responses to the Houthi attack.

“After a missile landed at Ben Gurion Airport, we no longer have any restrictions. Israel will respond forcefully to the Houthis. We have the right to respond, and nothing will restrain us,” said the public broadcaster KAN, citing an unnamed security source.

Israel’s emergency service, Magen David Adom, reported that “several people sustained minor injuries due to a missile falling near Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion Airport,” without providing further details.

The strike occurred following multiple air raid sirens in various regions of Israel and several unsuccessful attempts to intercept the projectile, according to the Israeli army.

Security sources told Army Radio that both Israel’s Arrow system and the US-made THAAD system attempted to intercept the missile but failed.

According to Channel 13, the military has launched an internal probe into the failure of the air defense systems to intercept the missile.

Netanyahu has released a video message addressing the Houthi rocket attack this morning on Ben Gurion International Airport.

In the message, Netanyahu said Israel has acted against the Houthis in coordination with the US.

“We’ve acted against them in the past, and we’ll act against them again in the future. It’s not a ‘one-and-done’ – but there will be blows,” he said.

Sunday’s missile strike occurred following multiple air raid sirens in various regions in Israel and several unsuccessful attempts to intercept the projectile, according to the Israeli army.

This marked the third such missile launch in two days following earlier Houthi claims of targeting Ramat David Airbase and the Tel Aviv region.

The US resumed its airstrikes on Yemen on March 15 after President Donald Trump ordered the military to launch a “major assault” on Houthi forces, threatening to “wipe them out completely.”

The Houthi group, however, defied the threats and continued to launch missiles and drones at Israeli targets and ships bound for Israel in the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel’s ongoing assault on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where more than 52,500 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since October 2023.

Additional reports from AA, Al Jazeera

[Photo: Israeli security forces take measures after Yemen’s Houthi group attack the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel on May 04, 2025. Photojournalist: Saeed Qaq/AA]