A ballistic missile fired by the Houthi rebels in Yemen landed in the Ben-Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv on Sunday after air raid sirens sounded across central Israel. According to the IDF the military attempted to intercept the missile after "sirens were sounded in accordance with protocol."
Ben Gurion international airport hit in Houthi missile strike
The missile caused damage and a number of injuries for the first time since the Iran-backed group renewed its attacks on Israel, after it landed near aircraft parked on the runway outside Terminal one.
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Flights were suspended during the attack and two people, a man and a woman, both in their 50s suffered slight and moderate injuries from the blast. A third woman in her 30s was hurt during her rush to shelter. all of the wounded were taken to the nearby Shiba Medical Center for treatment.
"We all went into the shelters as soon as the sirens were activated," Pinchas Idan, union boss at the Airport Authorities, told Ynet. "We heard a loud explosion. It fell near the planes. We were lucky because an aircraft was in the air."
Operations resumed at the airport soon after the strike but flight delays were expected.
Defense Minister Isarel Katz warned of retaliation against the Houthi rebels. "Anyone who harms us will be doubly harmed," Katz said. Israel's last military action against the Houthis was three months ago. Since then, the United States and its partners in an international coalition conducted strikes against the rebel army and asked that Israel refrain from attacks.
Last week, Israeli officials said they’re refraining from responding directly to the Houthis because the U.S. is leading the fight. “The fact that they’re firing doesn’t mean much,” a senior Israeli defense official said earlier this week.
The launch marks the fifth one in two days as the Iran-backed terror group ramps up its efforts to harm the country. The U.S. operations in Yemen continue against the Houthis, though focused mainly on airstrikes at this point.