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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a response to after the rebels struck the area of Israel’s main airport, wounding six people.
The strike came hours before Israel’s army confirmed the call-up of “tens of thousands” of reservists to expand the 19-month war in Gaza.
Several international airlines suspended flights to Israel. Hours after the strike, Yemen’s Houthis promised more such strikes and warned airlines to cancel their flights to Israeli airports.
The military confirmed the attack, which gouged a large crater in the perimeter of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, was launched from Yemen and had struck despite “several attempts … to intercept the missile”.
Netanyahu vowed to retaliate against the attack.
“Attacks by the Houthis emanate from Iran. Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport and, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters,” Netanyahu said on X.
In a separate video issued by his office, he said: “We will do what we need to do to take care of our security, to respond effectively, and to give Iran due warning that this cannot continue.”
Houthis later said in a statement they would impose “a comprehensive aerial blockade” on Israel by repeatedly targeting its airports, in response to Israel expanding its “aggressive” operation in Gaza.
Most attacks from Yemen have been intercepted by Israel’s missile defence systems, though a drone strike hit Tel Aviv last year.
The weekend’s missile was the only one of a series launched since March that was not intercepted.
Later on Sunday, the Israeli military concluded an assessment and cited a technical issue with the interceptor launched toward the missile.
“Initial findings reveal no malfunction in the detection procedure, interception systems, or Homefront Command alert mechanisms,” the army said in a statement.
A reporter from the Reuters news agency at the airport heard sirens and saw passengers running towards safe rooms.
According to Israel’s military spokesperson, a ballistic missile fired from Yemen hit the perimeter of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. Source: EPA / Abir Sultan
Several people posted videos showing a plume of black smoke visible behind parked aircraft and airport buildings. Pictures showed a nearby road scattered with dust and debris.
The Israeli ambulance service said eight people were taken to hospital for mild to moderate injuries.
An Israeli police commander, Yair Hetzroni, showed reporters a crater caused by the impact of the missile, which airport authorities said landed beside a road near a terminal 3 parking lot.
The Israel Airports Authority said normal operations had resumed after reports of air traffic being halted and access routes to the airport being blocked.
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