A missile launched by Yemen's Houthi forces struck Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport on Sunday, injuring at least eight people and causing damage, according to the Israeli military and local authorities.
Footage circulating on social media showed the missile hitting a road leading to Terminal 3, the airport's main terminal for international travel, with a large cloud of black smoke rising overhead. Other media reported that the missile created a crater dozens of meters wide and deep.
According to a reporter from China Media Group (CMG), the missile strike occurred just a few hundred meters from the terminal. The resulting debris, along with scattered rocks and soil, spread across a large area of the airport, damaging numerous vehicles and causing considerable destruction.
The crater has since been filled in, and airport operations have returned to normal, the CMG reporter said.
The Israel Airports Authority said all departures and landings were temporarily suspended, but airport operations were expected to resume "shortly." Train services to the airport were also halted.
Police blocked access to the airport area, citing concerns about unexploded ordnance.
According to Israeli media, following the attack on Ben Gurion International Airport, a number of airlines, including Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines, have announced the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv at least until May 6.
Spain’s Air Europa also canceled its scheduled flight from Madrid to Tel Aviv on the same day, citing “security concerns.” Additionally, Delta Air Lines canceled its flight from New York’s JFK Airport to Tel Aviv on Sunday.
Yemen's Houthi group on Sunday claimed responsibility for a missile attack near Ben Gurion Airport in central Israel in the morning.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement that the forces targeted Ben Gurion Airport, using a hypersonic ballistic missile that successfully hit its target.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to retaliate strongly shortly after the attack, warning in a statement, "Whoever strikes us will be struck sevenfold," without elaborating.
Missile from Yemen hits Israel’s Tel Aviv airport, injuring 8
Missile from Yemen hits Israel’s Tel Aviv airport, injuring 8
