Yemen’s Houthi movement announced on Thursday night that it had launched a hypersonic ballistic missile targeting Ben Gurion Airport in central Israel, marking a significant escalation in the group’s ongoing operations against Israeli infrastructure.
According to Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea, the missile attack was part of what he described as a “qualitative military operation” aimed at disrupting air traffic at Israel’s main international airport. The strike was announced via a televised statement on the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV channel.
“Our operations will continue to impose a ban on air navigation at Ben Gurion Airport until Israel ceases its aggression and lifts the blockade on Gaza,” Sarea declared, reiterating the group’s support for Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen. The interception triggered emergency alerts on smartphones and activated air raid sirens across central Israel, prompting residents to seek immediate shelter.
While there were no fatalities, Israel’s national emergency service, Magen David Adom, reported several cases of panic-related injuries as civilians rushed to safety. Debris from the missile reportedly fell in the West Bank settlement of Alon Shvut, according to footage aired by Israel’s state-owned Kan TV News.
The missile attack comes amid heightened tensions in the region. The Houthis, who control large swaths of northern Yemen, have stepped up their operations against Israel following a temporary ceasefire deal with the United States last week. Under that agreement, the Houthis committed to halting attacks on U.S. naval assets in the Red Sea in exchange for a suspension of American airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen.
Despite the U.S. ceasefire, the Houthis have maintained that their campaign against Israel will continue in solidarity with Palestinians. Since November 2023, the group has launched attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden, citing Israel’s prolonged offensive in Gaza as justification.
In response to the latest escalation, the Israeli military has reportedly issued evacuation orders for residents near key Yemeni seaports, including Ras Isa, Al-Hudaydah, and Salif, in anticipation of potential retaliatory airstrikes.
More than 52,900 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children, have been killed over the past 19 months in Gaza due to sustained Israeli military operations, according to regional health authorities. The humanitarian toll continues to fuel anger and militant action across the region.
While a temporary ceasefire declared in January brought a brief halt to hostilities, renewed Israeli airstrikes in March reignited the Houthi campaign. Despite a diplomatic breakthrough between the Houthis and the U.S. brokered by Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, the group has made it clear that its confrontations with Israel are independent of any agreements with Washington.
The international community continues to monitor the situation with growing concern as the conflict threatens to expand beyond the Gaza-Israel theater, potentially drawing in more regional actors.
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