Six people were injured after a Houthi ballistic missile struck inside the territory of Israel‘s Ben Gurion Airport. The attack took place on Sunday morning and forced the airport to close its airspace. The missile launched from Yemen hit a grove adjacent to an access road inside the airport’s perimeter.
Ben Gurion Airport is Israel‘s main international airport, located near Tel Aviv. The injured were taken to hospital and included a man in his 50s who sustained injuries to his limbs and was described as being in a good-to-moderate condition.
A 64-year-old man was lightly hurt after he was hit by an object that flew from the impact site.
Two women, aged 22 and 34, received minor injuries while running for shelter, according to Israel‘s emergency services.
Another two women were also being treated after being hit by the shockwave of the explosion and are said to be in a good condition.
The terrifying moment of the impact was captured by CCTV cameras in the area. A huge cloud of black smoke rises from the impact area, as the missile lands.
Israel‘s military said it made several attempts to intercept the missile and is carrying out an investigation into the failure of its air defence systems.
A prominent Israeli politician has blamed Iran for the attack, even though the missile was fired from Yemen.
Benny Gantz, the National Unity chairman, wrote in a post on X social media: “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.”
Defence Minister Israel Katz, threatened a severe retaliatory response, saying in a terse statement: “Whoever harms us, we will strike them sevenfold.”
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior official in Yemen’s Houthi rebel movement, told the Qatari Al-Araby TV channel that the rebels demonstrated their ability to strike sensitive targets in Israel.
He added that the Iran-backed group has “no red lines” in its fight against Israel.
