A missile fired from Yemen landed near the main terminal of Israel’s Ben Gurion airport on Sunday morning, Israeli authorities said.
Unverified footage posted online appeared to show drivers on a road nearby pulled over to take cover as a projectile lands, creating a plume of black smoke near the airport, which is on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.
Four people were injured due to the blast, with another two injured on their way to a shelter, Israeli media reported, citing emergency services.
Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, said in a statement: “Anyone who hits us, we will hit them seven times stronger”.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement that the Israeli airport was “no longer safe for air travel”.
The airport has now reopened to flights, after temporarily halting them.
As the missile approached, sirens were activated in several parts of the country. The Israeli Air Force said it was investigating the failure to intercept it.
Footage shared by local media showed a large crater in the ground at the impact site.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group based in Yemen, have regularly launched missile attacks at Israel in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza, but it is rare for one to make it through Israel’s air defences.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have also been carrying out attacks on ships in the Red Sea, which the US has responded to by leading a bombing campaign against the group – which the UK has assisted in.
