Israel signaled a significant policy shift Sunday following a Houthi missile strike from Yemen that landed near Ben Gurion International Airport, its primary air gateway.
In an emergency security meeting convened just hours after the strike, top Israeli officials concluded that “the time for restraint is over” and that Israel is preparing direct action against Houthi targets in Yemen.
Houthi missile crashes outside Ben Gurion Airport
The missile strike, which Israel says caused “significant strategic damage,” prompted multiple foreign airlines to cancel flights to and from Israel. The resulting disruption to international air traffic, officials noted, has had broader economic and security implications.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with senior ministers and heads of the Mossad, Shin Bet and IDF, participated in the call, which was followed by a session of the Security Cabinet. Until now, Israel had refrained from striking Houthi targets, reportedly out of deference to the United States, which has led a broad offensive against the Iran-backed militia since the collapse of the ceasefire in Gaza in March.
Israeli officials acknowledged that while U.S. operations in Yemen have been “very effective,” the Houthis still possess a significant arsenal of ballistic missiles, dozens of which have been fired at Israel in recent weeks. Washington has told Jerusalem it prefers to act alone but will not oppose an Israeli response following Sunday’s strike.
Netanyahu released a video message after the meeting, saying, “We are acting against them, we have acted in the past, and we will act again. I can’t give details. The U.S. is acting too, in coordination with us. This is not a one-off. But there will be more to come.”
Later, the prime minister reposted a March 17 tweet from U.S. President Donald Trump condemning Iran for backing the Houthis, calling them “sinister mobsters and thugs based in Yemen, who are hated by the Yemeni people.” Netanyahu added in English, “President Trump is absolutely right! Attacks by Houthis emanate from Iran. Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters.”
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The Security Cabinet also met on Sunday to discuss the ongoing fighting in Gaza. The meeting included a review of a new plan to escalate military operations and deploy tens of thousands of reservists, some of whom have already received emergency call-up orders — the seventh such mobilization since the war began.
According to Israeli officials, the upcoming military action in Gaza will intensify but will stop short of a full-scale occupation. The goal, they say, is to apply pressure on Hamas to agree to a hostage release deal.
Cabinet members also reviewed a humanitarian aid plan coordinated with the U.S. The plan involves direct food distribution to Palestinian families in Gaza through a vetted American company operating at the Netzarim crossing. Each family would receive a weekly package of 60 to 70 kilograms of food. Officials say the system is designed to prevent Hamas from seizing and reselling aid, as has happened previously.
While no final decision has been made on launching the aid program, security sources maintain there is currently no famine in Gaza, despite warnings from the United Nations and several foreign governments. The plan will be activated only if a real food shortage is confirmed, officials said. “Right now,” a defense official said, “there’s still food in Gaza.”