Houthi Forces Target Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport with Ballistic Missiles in Retaliatory Strikes
Yemen’s Houthis claim back-to-back missile attacks on Israel’s main airport and strategic sites in Tel Aviv and Haifa, declaring solidarity with Gaza amid ongoing Israeli assault.
Watan-The Yemeni Houthi group announced on Thursday that it launched two ballistic missile attacks targeting Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in two successive strikes just hours apart.
In statements by the military spokesperson of the Houthi forces, Yahya Saree, the group claimed responsibility shortly after the Israeli army announced it had intercepted two missiles launched from Yemen, which triggered sirens in central Israel and Tel Aviv. No casualties or damage were reported.
Saree stated: “The Yemeni Armed Forces (Houthis) carried out a qualitative missile operation targeting Lod Airport (Ben Gurion) using a Zulfiqar ballistic missile.”
He added that the operation resulted in a temporary halt in airport operations for nearly an hour.
According to Saree, the strike “achieved its objective, halted air traffic for about an hour, and sent millions of occupiers (Israelis) scrambling to bomb shelters.”
He further claimed that the Houthis conducted a joint drone operation using two “Yafa” drones targeting strategic sites in Tel Aviv (Jaffa) and Haifa in northern Israel.
Naval Blockade and Justification
Earlier this week, the Houthis declared a maritime blockade on the Port of Haifa, citing it as a response to Israel’s “escalating aggression” and genocide in Gaza.
Saree stated: “The escalation of Israeli atrocities in Gaza and the visible massacres against men, women, and children demand immediate action from the Ummah (nation) to fulfill their moral, religious, and humanitarian duty.”
Later, the group confirmed another ballistic missile strike on Lod Airport using a hypersonic missile, claiming it successfully hit the target and again forced “millions of occupiers” into shelters.
The attack allegedly led to flight diversions, with incoming aircraft rerouting to their points of origin due to the disruption at Ben Gurion Airport.
بيان القوات المسلحة اليمنية بشأن تنفيذ عملية عسكرية استهدفت مطار اللد بصاروخ باليستي فرط صوتي للمرة الثانية خلال ساعات، محققا هدفه بنجاح بفضل الله.
بتاريخ22_5_2025م pic.twitter.com/JvnerV3m6N— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21yemen) May 22, 2025
Israeli Confirmation and Regional Tension
Early Thursday, the Israeli army confirmed intercepting a missile launched from Yemen that activated sirens in Tel Aviv. A second missile was later intercepted, again with no reported injuries.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that takeoff and landing operations at Ben Gurion Airport were temporarily suspended following the missile alerts.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army radio reported: “Since the resumption of fighting in Gaza in March, 37 ballistic missiles have been launched at Israel from Yemen.”
The Houthis maintain that their strikes are in support of Palestinians in Gaza and will continue as long as Israel pursues its military offensive.
Gaza Ground Offensive Intensifies
On Sunday, the Israeli military announced a new ground assault in multiple areas of Gaza, part of what it called “Operation Gideon’s Chariots”—marking a dangerous escalation in the ongoing war.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel—backed unconditionally by the United States—has waged a genocidal war in Gaza, leaving over 175,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, mostly children and women, with more than 11,000 missing and hundreds of thousands displaced.
