A ballistic missile fired by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen exploded inside the grounds of Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning, injuring six people.
Israel’s military said it made several attempts to intercept the missile fired from Yemen but failed to shoot down the projectile in the end. “An impact was identified in the area of Ben Gurion Airport,” it added.
Surveillance camera footage showed the moment the missile fell in a grove adjacent to an access road, within the airport’s perimeter.
The Israeli Air Force’s has launched an investigation into its aerial defence system’s failure to intercept the missile.
Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for the launch, the group’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement.
In a warning to airlines that the Israeli airport was “no longer safe for air travel”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to hold a meeting by telephone with Defence Minister Israel Katz and other top defence officials at 3 p.m.
A possible direct Israeli strike on Houthi assets in Yemen is likely to be considered.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Houthi official, told the Qatari Al-Araby TV channel that the rebel group had demonstrated its ability to strike sensitive targets in Israel on Sunday morning.
He added that the Iran-backed group has “no red lines” in its fight against Israel.
The Houthis — whose slogan is “Death to America, Death to Israel, a Curse on the Jews” — began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas attack.
Sirens sounded across central Israel at 9:22 a.m as residents were alerted to the long-range missile attack
A man in his 50s suffered awith trauma to his limbs and two women, aged 54 and 38, were hit by the shockwave, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said in a statement.
A man, 64, was also lightly hurt after he was hit by an object that flew from the impact site,.
Two more women, aged 22 and 34, were lightly hurt while running for shelter, MDA said.
National Unity party chairman Benny Gantz called on the government to hold Iran accountable for the attack.
“This is not Yemen, this is Iran. It is Iran that is firing ballistic missiles at the State of Israel, and it must bear responsibility,” wrote the former defense minister on X.
“The Israeli government must wake up,” he said, arguing that fire on Israel “must lead to a severe response against Tehran.”
The UK and the US military said they had launched a successful strike on a Houthi drone site last week.
Since war resumed in Gaza, they Houthis have launched 27 missile strikes on Israel, with half being intercepted, while others have missed their targets.
