Israel vowed a harsh response after a missile launched by Houthi militants in Yemen thwarted its aerial defenses and struck near the country’s main airport.
“We will hit back sevenfold at anyone who hurts us,” Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday after the attacks.
Weeks of US airstrikes against the Houthis, an Iran-backed militant group that holds areas in Yemen, have failed to halt the group’s attacks on Israel. The Houthis say they’re acting in solidarity with Palestinians, and will continue until the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza ends.
The Israel Defense Forces said a “technical issue” with the interceptor launched by air defense systems prevented the military from downing the missile, which struck in the area of Ben Gurion Airport after several interception attempts.
“Initial findings reveal no malfunction in the detection procedure, interception systems, or Homefront Command alert mechanisms,” the IDF said in a statement.
A military spokesman for the Houthis said the group had fired a ballistic missile and warned airlines against flying into Ben Gurion.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will continue to take action against the Houthis and that the US’s operations are done in coordination with Israel.
“It’s not one-time and done,” Netanyahu said in a video posted on X.
Most missiles launched from Yemen at Israel have been intercepted, including one on Saturday and two on Friday. Israel has intercepted dozens of missiles from Yemen since the beginning of the war with a success rate exceeding 95%, the IDF said Sunday.
Flights in and out of Ben Gurion, as well as train services to and from the airport and into Jerusalem, were temporarily suspended.
Several foreign carriers suspended their flights to Israel due to the attack, Kan News reported. Wizz Air Holdings Plc announced it would pause its service to Israel until Tuesday morning, while Deutsche Lufthansa AG, which includes Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines, halted its flights to Israel through May 6, according to Kan. Air India Ltd. is also suspending flights until that date. IAG SA ‘s British Airways is suspending flights until May 7, AFP reported.
Shares of El Al Israel Airlines jumped about 7%. The airline, which has operated continuously during the country’s war with Hamas, has benefited as foreign competitors halted flights to Israel for long periods due to missile and rocket fire from Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen.
Medics treated and evacuated eight people to hospitals. Among the injured was a man in his 50s in mild-to-moderate condition; the remainder had mild injuries or were suffering from anxiety, emergency services said.
The Houthis have held Sanaa, Hodeida and other areas since ousting Yemen’s government around a decade ago. They’ve received significant military and technical support from Iran in recent years.
With assistance from Kateryna Kadabashy.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.