Houthi Missile Strikes Near Israel’s Airport, Briefly Disrupting Flights

Houthis successful Yemen launched a hypersonic ballistic rocket astatine Israel’s Ben-Gurion International Airport connected Sunday, May 4, nan group’s subject spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree confirmed successful a video statement. While nan rocket onslaught didn’t deed nan airdrome itself, it did time off a sizable crater adjacent an entree road, temporarily disrupting flights and commuter traffic, the Associated Press reports.  

Four group suffered insignificant injuries, according to Israel’s paramedic service.

Netanyahu responds

The onslaught occurred conscionable hours earlier Israeli Cabinet ministers were owed to meet for a ballot connected intensifying their warfare against Hamas successful Gaza. While it’s unclear really nan furniture voted, Israel’s main of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, has said that nan service is calling up tens of thousands of reserves.

Meanwhile, successful a station connected X pursuing nan airdrome attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote, “Attacks by nan Houthis emanate from Iran. Israel will respond to nan Houthi onslaught against our main airdrome AND, astatine a clip and spot of our choosing, to their Iranian panic masters.”

The Houthis run retired of Yemen and are backed by Iran. They person many times attacked Israel successful solidarity pinch nan Palestinian people. The U.S., meanwhile, has joined Israel successful targeting Houthi leaders and outposts.

Given nan spot and sophistication of Israel’s anti-missile defense system, known arsenic nan Iron Dome, it’s uncommon that nan state is affected by airstrikes. The only different onslaught to deed Tel Aviv was a drone onslaught successful July 2024, The Guardian reports. On Sunday, nan subject said a method rumor pinch nan interceptor apt allowed nan Houthi rocket to deed airdrome grounds.

International flights into and retired of Ben-Gurion International Airport had mostly been paused since nan commencement of nan war. They were, however, much precocious opening to resume.  

Israel to ballot connected intensifying warfare effort

Israel was owed to meet Sunday and ballot connected whether to intensify nan warfare against Hamas, which started connected Oct. 7, 2023, aft nan Islamic militant group attacked Israel, sidesplitting 1,200 group and taking different 250 hostage. Rather than discuss a caller ceasefire statement to replace nan 1 that collapsed down successful March, Israel seems intent connected ramping up its unit run connected Hamas.

Israeli officials person said they want to return complete much of Gaza, which tin beryllium utilized arsenic leverage successful early negotiations. Similarly, Israel’s far-right information minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, is advocating for a “powerful” description of nan war, which includes bombing Gaza’s “food and energy supplies,” The Guardian notes.   

“We request to summation nan strength and proceed until we execute full victory. We must triumph a full victory,” Ben-Gvir told Israeli Army Radio.

Israel’s warfare successful Gaza has displaced much than 90% of its population and killed much than 52,000 Palestinians. Repeated blockades of humanitarian assistance person led to superior condemnations from nan United Nations. On Thursday, May 1, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher called nan blockades a “cruel corporate punishment” of nan Palestinian population. Israel has claimed that Hamas uses nan humanitarian assistance to money its subject operations –– a complaint Hamas routinely denies.

In early March, Israel blocked humanitarian aid entering Gaza and cut disconnected its energy supply.