Houthi rebels claim missile attack on Tel Aviv airport

BarcelonaYemen's Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for Sunday's ballistic missile attack that struck -for the first time in more than a year and a half of Israeli offensive in Gaza– in the area of Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, which has left at least six people injured.

Earlier this morning, a projectile, or fragments of it (the Israeli army has not confirmed this) fell on the edge of Ben Gurion Airport after alarms sounded about a missile launched from Yemen. According to Israeli authorities, the missile fell in an area away from crowds, causing only six minor injuries. If the impact had occurred in one of the areas of the airport where passengers are abundant, it would likely be a massacre, since images circulating on social media show a large crater where it fell. Tel Aviv is investigating the attack, which is claimed by the Houthis. which has managed to evade Israel's sophisticated anti-aircraft defenses. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reacted swiftly and forcefully: "Whoever harms us will receive seven evils," he said, making it clear that the Houthis in Yemen will be punished for this attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also did so, simply saying: "There will be explosions." Netanyahu recalled that the United States is working together with Israel to fight the Houthis.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea indicated in a statement that "the hypersonic ballistic missile attack targeting Ben Gurion Airport was successful." He also renewed his warning to international airlines that the Israeli airport is "unsafe" for air traffic. The airport only closed its doors for an hour, but airlines such as the Lufthansa Group (which includes Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, and Brussels Airlines) and Air Europa are canceling their flights for this Sunday, according to Israeli media. Also the Hungarian company Wizz Air (until Tuesday), Air India, and TUS Airways. It is a dynamic that has been repeated since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, which triggered the invasion of Gaza and the regionalization of the war: airlines have been freezing and resuming their routes to Israel depending on the expected retaliation from Iran or the Lebanese militia.

Sarea added that "the success" of the attack demonstrates "the failure of the American and Israeli interception systems," and celebrated "the escape of more than three million Zionists to safe havens." In this regard, the Houthi spokesman assured that "they will not abandon their religious, moral, and humanitarian duty toward the oppressed Palestinian people, regardless of the repercussions, until the aggression against Gaza ceases and the siege is lifted."

Yemen's Houthis, who receive direct support from Iran, are now the only armed group that continues to attack Israel frequently since the invasion of Gaza began a year and a half ago. This week, in fact, they had been launching missiles almost daily at the Hebrew state, but they were always intercepted by air defenses.