Houthis target Israeli airport with ballistic missile, injures 6, IDF admits failure in interception
On 4th May (local time), a ballistic missile fired by the Iran-backed terrorist outfit Houthi in Yemen hit Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. The airport was briefly shut down following the attack. At least six people were injured in the incident.
The missile reportedly evaded Israeli defence systems and struck a grove adjacent to an access road within the airport perimeter.
Failed interception and immediate response
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that multiple attempts were made to intercept the missile before impact, but all failed.
The military said, “An impact was identified in the area of Ben Gurion Airport,” adding that the aerial defence array of the Air Force was now investigating the cause of the failure.
Reportedly, the missile struck within minutes of being launched from Yemen. CCTV footage later confirmed the explosion near one of the parking zones of the airport. Initially, it was reported that one person was injured in the incident, but later emergency services updated the figure to six.
The wounded included a man in his 50s who suffered trauma to his limbs, two women aged 54 and 28 who were hit by the shockwave, a 64-year-old man who was struck by flying debris, and two women aged 22 and 34 who were hurt while running to take shelter.
Operations briefly suspended at Israel’s main airport
All take-offs and landings were temporarily suspended at Ben Gurion Airport for around an hour. The Israel Airport Authority confirmed the operations were paused as per standard protocol. The authorities said, “An investigation is underway regarding the impact at the Ben Gurion Airport area. As per normal procedure, there is a freeze and no landings or take-offs are taking place.”
Political leaders hold Iran accountable
The attack resulted in sharp reactions from Israeli leaders. National Unity chairman and former defence minister Benny Gantz directly blamed Iran for the attack. In a post on X, he said, “This is not Yemen, this is Iran. It is Iran that is firing ballistic missiles at the State of Israel, and it must bear responsibility. The Israeli government must wake up… Fire on Israel must lead to a severe response in Tehran.”
Source: X
Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a short but ominous warning: “Whoever harms us, we will strike them sevenfold.”
So far, Israel has not retaliated for the attack.
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