Israel considers response after Houthi missile strike lands inside Ben Gurion Airport
Sunday's morning attack by the Iranian backed group in Yemen lightly injures six people
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
A ballistic missile fired by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen exploded inside the grounds of Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning, injuring six people.
Israel’s military said it made several attempts to intercept the missile fired from Yemen but failed to shoot down the projectile in the end. “An impact was identified in the area of Ben Gurion Airport,” it added.
Surveillance camera footage showed the moment the missile fell in a grove adjacent to an access road, within the airport’s perimeter.
The Israeli Air Force’s has launched an investigation into its aerial defence system’s failure to intercept the missile.
Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for the launch, the group’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement.
In a warning to airlines that the Israeli airport was “no longer safe for air travel”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to hold a meeting by telephone with Defence Minister Israel Katz and other top defence officials at 3 p.m.
A possible direct Israeli strike on Houthi assets in Yemen is likely to be considered.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Houthi official, told the Qatari Al-Araby TV channel that the rebel group had demonstrated its ability to strike sensitive targets in Israel on Sunday morning.
He added that the Iran-backed group has “no red lines” in its fight against Israel.
The Houthis — whose slogan is “Death to America, Death to Israel, a Curse on the Jews” — began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas attack.
Sirens sounded across central Israel at 9:22am as residents were alerted to the long-range missile attack
A man in his 50s suffered with trauma to his limbs and two women, aged 54 and 38, were hit by the shockwave, Magen David Adom ambulance service said in a statement.
A man, 64, was also lightly hurt after he was hit by an object that flew from the impact site,.
Two more women, aged 22 and 34, were lightly hurt while running for shelter, MDA said.
National Unity party chairman Benny Gantz called on the government to hold Iran accountable for the attack.
“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,” wrote the former defense minister on X.
“The Israeli government must wake up,” he said, arguing that fire on Israel “must lead to a severe response against Tehran.”
The UK and the US military said they had launched a successful strike on a Houthi drone site last week.
Since war resumed in Gaza, they Houthis have launched 27 missile strikes on Israel, with half being intercepted, while others have missed their targets.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
