May 4 (UPI) —
On Sunday, Ben Gurion International Airport, which serves as Israel’s primary gateway for travelers, came under attack from a Houthi missile that managed to evade both Israeli and American defense mechanisms.
The Houthis, a Yemeni political group formerly called Ansar Allah,
said in a statement
that its armed wing had carried out a military operation targeting Ben Gurion Airport in the “occupied Jaffa region” with a hypersonic ballistic missile.
Palestinians and their supporters consider the land Ben Gurion Airport sits on to be Palestinian land from the historic district of Jaffa, which was a major Palestinian city before the creation of Israel.
The airport has been around since the time of British governance and was previously named Lydda Airport before being referred to as Lod Airport, its Hebrew translation. This latter term is what the Houthis used in their declaration.
The Houthis claimed that the attack on the airport was successful for supporters of the Palestinian cause as it demonstrated the “inability of American and Israeli missile defense systems to stop it,” resulting in the suspension of airport operations for approximately one hour.
The airport has since resumed flights with a statement
on its website
stating, “Dear passengers, please be advised that Ben Gurion airport is working as planned, including departures and landings.”
Nasr El-Din Amer, a senior Houthi official,
issued a statement
warning airlines not to deal with Ben Gurion Airport and risk the safety of their airplanes.
“It is a target for the missiles of the Yemeni armed forces until the aggression against Gaza stops and the siege is lifted,” Amer said.
“We welcome the countries and airlines that have so far announced the cancellation of their flights to Lod Airport or what is called ‘Ben Gurion’ in order to preserve the safety of airplanes and passengers, and we call on the rest of the airlines and countries to the same rational and safe behavior.”
The Israel Defense Forces stated in an official release that they were investigating the event following their acknowledgment of multiple interception efforts aimed at thwarting the missile attack. The Israeli Police also issued a statement indicating that access to the airport would remain restricted until authorities had thoroughly examined the area.
The IDF told CNN that it had fired its long-range Arrow interceptor at the missile. Last year, former President Joe Biden directed the U.S. to
send a THAAD defense system
to Israel.
At least five people were injured because of the missile strike, Israeli
media reported
. Yair Hetzroni, the senior police commander overseeing the airport,
showed journalists
a crater caused by the missile, which caused no significant damage to airport facilities or runways.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement: “Anyone who hits us, we will hit them seven times stronger.”
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