The ballistic missile launched from Yemen was attacked near a major terminal at Israel International Airport near Tel Aviv on Sunday as the troops were unable to intercept a projectile that appears to be aiming for one of the country’s most sensitive locations.
The strike, carried out by the Iran-backed Hooti militia, led to a temporary suspension of flights. There were no immediate reports of deaths.
Israeli forces said several efforts have been made to intercept the missiles and the impacts have been identified in the Ben Gurion airport area. The military added that the episode is under review.
The Magen David Adom Emergency Ambulance Service said it is treating four people who were mildly or moderately injured by the blast, as well as two other people who were injured while running towards the shelter.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called emergency consultations among his security ministers on Sunday, threatening retaliation.
After President Trump wrote a post about social media, Netanyahu reposted a statement after warning Iran would be held responsible for the Houthi attacks on Sunday, adding one of his own, saying he agreed to Trump.
“The Houtsis attacks emanate from Iran,” Netanyahu wrote. “Israel will respond to Hooty’s attacks on our major airports and respond to their Iranian terrorist masters where we have chosen.”
The threat to Iran comes despite the Trump administration negotiating with Tehran to curb its nuclear program.
Defence Minister Israel Katz had suggested there was a severe response shortly after the attack.
“Anyone who hurts us will do seven times more harm to us,” Katz said in a statement.
The airport resumed operations about an hour after the strike, but some international airlines cancelled scheduled arrivals and departures.
The Houthi militia began launching missiles in Israel more than a year ago in solidarity with Hamas, an Iran-backed group in the Gaza Strip. It has stepped up its attack since Israel ended a ceasefire in Gaza in mid-March.
Sunday’s missile attack over Israeli weekend was fourth by a Houssis, which has targeted Israel for the past 48 hours. The other three were intercepted.
Israeli arrow air defense systems, which can hit targets in the atmosphere or across the atmosphere, have managed to disrupt many long-range missile attacks. In October, the US sent Israel a progressive missile defense system to help dodge attacks by Iran and its allies.
But by sliding all the defenses, strikes near the airport have been one of the biggest successes for the Housis in recent months and one of Israel’s most serious failures.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree argued responsibility for targeting the airport and in a video statement warned international airlines to leave Ben Gurion for their safety.
Hamas praised the missile attack. The missile attack comes hours after Israeli forces announced they would mobilize thousands of additional reserves to bolster their campaign in Gaza.
More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, according to health officials in the enclave that does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. The war began after Hamas led an attack on Israel in October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and returning to Gaza with around 250 hostages.
Israel says the military operations in Gaza are aimed at destroying Hamas and pressureing the group to release dozens of prisoners still held there. Netanyahu refused to detail Gaza’s military plans on Sunday, but once again vowed to achieve a “complete victory” over Hamas.
In recent months, Israel has refrained from fighting back against Yemen’s Houtis as the US has stepped up attacks targeting the group. Since the fall of 2023, Houthis has repeatedly attacked commercial and naval vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, supporting Palestinians being bombed in Gaza.
After a strike near the airport on Sunday, Israeli opposition leaders appointed the government for failing to stop missiles that stopped sirens around the country, sending millions of civilians who ran into bomb shelters in the middle of the night.
Benny Gantz, a former Israeli military chief and now a centric opposition leader, urged Netanyahu’s government to “wake up and retaliate against Iran.” “This is not Yemen – this is Iran,” Gantz said in a statement posted on social media. “Iran is the person who launches ballistic missiles in Israel and must be held responsible.”
Videos and images posted on social media on Sunday showed a large plume of dark smoke rising from an open area near Terminal 3 at the airport, the main international terminal.
Large missile debris could be seen on the ground outside the entrance to the building, and roads near the airport appeared to be covered with dirt and rap shotguns. Social media footage shows police gathering in nearby muddy fields to investigate a large, deep crater.
In a statement just before the attack, Israeli airport officials said flights 422 are scheduled to arrive or depart on Sunday.
Reported by Myra Noveck, Adam Rasgon and Gabby Sobelman.
