Houthi missile strikes near Israeli airport after evading missile defenses
A Houthi missile struck Israeli soil near Tel Aviv's largest airport on Sunday, causing multiple international airlines to cancel flights to Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation for the attack Sunday and will participate in several defense meetings throughout the day. The missile reportedly evaded both Israeli and U.S. missile defenses, according to Israeli media.
"Whoever harms us, we will strike them sevenfold," said Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Lufthansa, Swiss, and Air Europa were among the airlines to cancel flights to Israel, though they expect to resume service on Monday.
There were no reports of injuries from the missile strike, and Israel has not yet confirmed any specific military retaliation.
Over the weekend, the Israeli Air Force says it struck over 100 terror targets in the Gaza Strip, including terrorist cells, tunnels, underground infrastructure sites, and other military structures.
IDF troops operating in southern Gaza also located weapons caches in the area, dismantled dozens of terrorist infrastructure sites, and eliminated a number of terrorists.
The missile strike comes days after Israel was forced to cancel its independence day celebrations due to wildfires raging throughout the country.
Massive wildfires broke out near Jerusalem on Wednesday, forcing road closures and mass evacuations that paralyzed the country. Israel traditionally celebrates its independence with a torch-lighting ceremony. It instead broadcast footage of the rehearsal ceremony.
Jerusalem District Fire Department Commander Shmulik Friedman told the press on Wednesday that the wildfires may be "the largest fire ever in the country" and warned that high winds could exacerbate the blaze later in the day. He also warned that Israel was "far from control" of the fires.
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Boston Globe
23 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Hamas says it killed 12 Israeli-backed fighters. Israeli-supported group says they were aid workers.
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Yahoo
27 minutes ago
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Hamas says it killed 12 Israeli-backed fighters. Israeli-supported group says they were aid workers
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Aid initiative already marred by controversy and violence The aid group's operations in Gaza have already been marred by controversy and violence since they began last month, with scores of people killed in near-daily shootings as crowds headed toward the food distribution sites inside Israeli military zones. Witnesses have blamed the Israeli military, which has acknowledged firing only warning shots near people it said approached its forces in a suspicious manner. Earlier this week, witnesses also said Abu Shabab militiamen had opened fire on people en route to a GHF aid hub, killing and wounding many. The United Nations and major aid groups have rejected the Israeli and U.S.-backed initiative, accusing them of militarizing humanitarian aid at a time when experts say Gaza is at risk of famine because of Israel's blockade and renewed military campaign. Last week, Israel acknowledged it is supporting armed groups of Palestinians in what it says is a move to counter Hamas. Abu Shabab's militia, which calls itself the Popular Forces, says it is guarding the food distribution points set up by the Israeli- and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in southern Gaza. Aid workers say it has a long history of looting U.N. trucks. GHF has denied working with the Abu Shabab group. 'They were aid workers' In a statement released early Thursday, the foundation said Hamas had attacked a bus carrying more than two dozen 'local Palestinians working side-by-side with the U.S. GHF team to deliver critical aid' near the southern city of Khan Younis. 'We condemn this heinous and deliberate attack in the strongest possible terms,' it said. 'These were aid workers. Humanitarians. Fathers, brothers, sons, and friends, who were risking their lives everyday to help others.' It did not identify the men or say whether they were armed at the time. 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The killings early Wednesday were carried out by the Hamas-run police's Sahm unit, which Hamas says it established to combat looting. The unit released video footage showing several dead men lying in the street, saying they were Abu Shabab fighters who had been detained and killed for collaborating with Israel. It was not possible to verify the images or the claims around them. Mohammed Abu Amin, a Khan Younis resident, said he was at the scene of the killings and that crowds were celebrating them, shouting 'God is greatest' and condemning those killed as traitors to the Palestinian cause and agents of Israel. Ghassan Duhine, who identifies himself as a major in the Palestinian Authority's security forces and deputy commander of the Abu Shabab group, posted a statement online saying they clashed with Sahm and killed five. He denied that the images shared by Sahm were of Abu Shabab fighters. 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They are still holding 53 captives, less than half of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's military campaign has killed over 55,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not say how many of those killed were civilians or combatants. Israel's offensive has flattened large areas of Gaza and driven around 90% of the population of roughly 2 million Palestinians from their homes. The territory is almost completely reliant on humanitarian aid because nearly all of its food production capabilities have been destroyed. ___ Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed. ___ Follow AP's war coverage at
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
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Israel's Netanyahu survives opposition bid to dissolve parliament
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