A hypersonic missile was launched by the Houthis towards Israel’s Ben Gurion airport, following the Israeli army’s violation of a ceasefire in Gaza, as stated by the Yemeni group.
“The Yemeni armed forces conducted a significant military operation targeting Ben Gurion airport in the occupied Jaffa region with a Palestine-2 hypersonic ballistic missile,” declared Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree on Thursday.
The operation, according to him, “successfully accomplished its goal”, without providing further details. This was the second attack of its kind since the United States initiated a new series of airstrikes against the rebels earlier this week.
The Israeli military reported that they intercepted the missile before it entered the country’s territory early on Thursday. Sirens went off in multiple areas in Israel after the launch of the projectile, as mentioned by the military in a message on Telegram.
Sirens were also heard in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, as confirmed by the Israeli police. Israel’s ambulance service did not report any serious injuries.
Since Saturday, the US has been targeting Yemen with successive waves of strikes, while the Houthis have announced their intention to escalate their assaults, including on Israel, in response. These US attacks have resulted in the death of at least 31 individuals.
On Tuesday, the Houthis claimed they had fired a ballistic missile towards Israel and promised to broaden their range of targets in the upcoming days as a retaliation for Israel’s breach of the ceasefire in Gaza.
Israel’s renewed assaults since Tuesday have led to the deaths of at least 710 Palestinians and the injuring of over 900 others, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
Since Israel’s war on Gaza commenced in late 2023, the Houthis have executed over 100 attacks on shipping, declaring that they are standing in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
President of the United States, Donald Trump, reiterated on Wednesday his call for Iran to cease its support for the Houthis, vowing that the Yemeni group will be defeated by Washington.
While the Houthis are in alliance with Iran, the extent of their dependence on Iranian support or whether Tehran can mandate them to halt their attacks remains unclear.
