A missile launched from Yemen attacked by Yemen was launched near Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport on Sunday, May 4, briefly halted air traffic and prompted a harsh warning of retaliation by Israeli authorities. The attack followed a series of strikes by the Hesey rebels in Yemen, as air raid sirens rang across the country and explosions were heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv areas.
Police reported a “missile impact” near the airport, while the Israeli military confirmed that the projectile had been “intercepted several times”. It is not clear whether the generated crater is caused by the missile itself or by the interceptor.
At the scene, Central Regional Police Chief Yair Hezroni described the loss in a video statement, noting that the crater was “several dozen meters wide and tens of meters deep”, forming in an orchard near the airport. Police-issued footage shows the crater within sight of the airport control tower, highlighting the distance between the impact and Israel’s busiest air hub.
The travel interruption was temporary as Israeli airport authorities confirmed that “departure and arrival have resumed” and announced that the airport was “open and operated” after the incident.
In response to the attack, Defense Minister Katz vowed strong revenge, saying: “Anyone who hits us will be stronger.”
During the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the Hessey rebels, who are controlled by Iran and most of Yemen, fired drones and missiles at commercial vessels in Israel and the Red Sea. While no group claimed responsibility for Sunday’s missiles, the attack came after a series of Hughes strikes, including three missiles the group claimed in two days over the weekend.
Since the Gaza War began in 2023, most of the missiles fired by Huthi have been intercepted by Israeli air defense. Rebels suspended attacks in a recent two-month ceasefire in Gaza, but resumed threats in March, warning that actions to block international transport were blocked by Israeli aid to Gaza.
The escalation prompted a strong U.S. response, starting on March 15, the company began nearly daily air strikes on Huthi Targets to protect the bays of the Red Sea and Aden transport routes. The U.S. military campaign under President Joe Biden has intensified under his successor, Donald Trump. According to a U.S. statement, Yemen has more than 1,000 targets since March.
