Latest news with #Hetzroni
USA Today
06-05-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Passengers panic after Houthi missile lands near Israel's main airport
Passengers panic after Houthi missile lands near Israel's main airport Show Caption Hide Caption Greek-flagged tanker leaks oil after Houthi attack The tanker was still burning nearly a week after it was hit with several projectiles off Yemen. A missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels towards Israel on Sunday landed near Ben Gurion Airport, the country's main international airport, sending a plume of smoke into the air and causing panic among passengers in the terminal building. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, who claimed responsibility for the missile strike, have recently intensified missile launches at Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. A senior Israeli police commander, Yair Hetzroni, showed reporters a crater caused by the impact of the missile, which airport authorities said had landed beside a road near a Terminal 3 parking lot. "You can see the scene right behind us here, a hole that opened up with a diameter of tens of metres and also tens of metres deep," Hetzroni said, adding that there was no significant damage. In a statement after the strike, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said: "Whoever harms us will be harmed sevenfold." Israel's Channel 12 News said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would meet security ministers and defence officials on Sunday to discuss a response. Most missile launches from Yemen have been intercepted by Israel's missile defence systems, apart from a strike that hit Tel Aviv last year. The military said it was investigating what happened with Sunday's launch, which caused sirens to be activated across central Israel, including nearby in the major city of Tel Aviv. A Reuters reporter at the airport, which is located between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, heard sirens and saw passengers reacting by running towards safe rooms. Several people at the airport posted videos filmed on smartphones that showed a plume of black smoke clearly visible nearby, behind parked aircraft and airport buildings. Reuters has not verified the videos. The Israeli ambulance service said eight people were being taken to hospital, including a man in a mild to moderate condition with injuries to his limbs and two women in a mild condition with head injuries. US strikes on Houthis Claiming responsibility for the strike, the Houthis' military spokesperson Yahya Saree said Israel's main airport was "no longer safe for air travel". A spokesperson for the Israel Airports Authority said takeoffs and landings had resumed and operations at Ben Gurion had returned to normal, after reports of air traffic being halted and access routes to the airport being blocked. However, flight operations were disrupted due to the missile, according to Ben Gurion's live air traffic site. Some flights, including by Air India, TUS Airways and Lufthansa Group, were cancelled. Others, including to U.S. airports Newark and JFK, were delayed by about 90 minutes. A Reuters reporter boarded a flight to Dubai that was on time. Sunday's strike came as Israeli ministers were reported to be close to signing off on plans to expand the military operation in Gaza, which resumed in March following a two-month truce, drawing a pledge from the Houthis to hit Israel with more missiles. Efforts to revive the ceasefire have so far faltered, and U.S. President Donald Trump in March ordered large-scale strikes against the Houthis to reduce their capabilities and deter them from targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis, who control swathes of Yemen, began targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping in late 2023, during the early days of the war between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip. The war was triggered by Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. Israel's offensive on Gaza has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and destroyed much of the enclave. The U.S. strikes on the rebel group, which have killed hundreds of people in Yemen, have been the biggest U.S. military operation in the Middle East since Trump took office in January. (Reporting by Menna Alaa El-Din, Jaidaa Taha, Alexander Cornwell and Steven Scheer;Writing by Estelle Shirbon;Editing by Toby Chopra and Helen Popper)
RTHK
04-05-2025
- Politics
- RTHK
Houthi-claimed missile strike hits Israel airport area
Houthi-claimed missile strike hits Israel airport area The impact of the missile caused a crater beside a road near a Terminal 3 parking lot. Photo: Reuters A missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels towards Israel on Sunday landed near Ben Gurion Airport, the country's main international airport, sending a plume of smoke into the air and causing panic among passengers in the terminal building. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, who claimed responsibility for the missile strike, have recently intensified missile launches at Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. A senior Israeli police commander, Yair Hetzroni, showed reporters a crater caused by the impact of the missile, which airport authorities said had landed beside a road near a Terminal 3 parking lot. "You can see the scene right behind us here, a hole that opened up with a diameter of tens of metres and also tens of metres deep," Hetzroni said, adding that there was no significant damage. In a statement after the strike, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said: "Whoever harms us will be harmed sevenfold." Israel's Channel 12 News said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would meet security ministers and defence officials on Sunday to discuss a response. Most missile launches from Yemen have been intercepted by Israel's missile defence systems, apart from a strike that hit Tel Aviv last year. The military said it was investigating what happened with Sunday's launch, which caused sirens to be activated across central Israel, including nearby in the major city of Tel Aviv. The Israeli ambulance service said eight people were being taken to hospital, including a man in a mild to moderate condition with injuries to his limbs and two women in a mild condition with head injuries. Claiming responsibility for the strike, the Houthis' military spokesperson Yahya Saree said Israel's main airport was "no longer safe for air travel". A spokesperson for the Israel Airports Authority said takeoffs and landings had resumed and operations at Ben Gurion had returned to normal, after reports of air traffic being halted and access routes to the airport being blocked. However, flight operations were disrupted due to the missile, according to Ben Gurion's live air traffic site. Some flights, including by Air India, TUS Airways and Lufthansa Group, were cancelled. Others, including to US airports Newark and JFK, were delayed by about 90 minutes. (Reuters)
Hindustan Times
04-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Tel Aviv: Air India, other airlines suspend flights after missile attack at airport
Several airlines, including Air India, on Sunday suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv after a Houthi-claimed missile struck inside the perimeter of Israel's main international airport. A missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels towards Israel landed near Ben Gurion Airport sending a plume of smoke into the air and causing panic among passengers. The Israeli ambulance service said eight people were being taken to the hospital, including a man in a mild to moderate condition. Among the airlines that have announced suspension of operations to Tel Aviv are Germany's Lufthansa, British Airways, Air India, and America's Delta Air Lines. Also Read | Air India's flight to Israel diverted to Abu Dhabi after missile attack at Tel Aviv airport Lufthansa said that it has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until May 6. The group -- whose carriers include Eurowings, Swiss, Austrian and Brussels Airlines -- said it was halting services due to the "current situation". British Airways said it was suspending all flights to and from Tel Aviv until May 7. "We continually monitor operating conditions and have made the decision to suspend all our flights to and from Tel Aviv, up to and including BA405 on Wednesday, 7 May," the airline said in a statement sent to AFP. Air India said that its flights between Delhi and Tel Aviv will remain suspended till May 6. Also Read | Israeli firefighting teams battle bushfires near Jerusalem for second day 'Consequently, our operations to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended with immediate effect till 6 May 2025, to ensure the safety of our customers and staff. Our staff on the ground is assisting customers and helping them with alternative arrangements,' a spokesperson of the airlines said. Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli police said air traffic to the country's main airport in Tel Aviv was briefly closed after a missile was launched from Yemen. Police said plane traffic and other activity around the airport were expected to resume after officers performed final searches, according to the Associated Press. A plume of smoke was seen rising earlier from near the airport after the missile was launched. Passengers were heard yelling and scrambling for cover, according to Reuters. A senior Israeli police commander, Yair Hetzroni, showed reporters a crater caused by the impact of the missile, which airport authorities said had landed beside a road near a Terminal 3 parking lot, reported Reuters. "You can see the scene right behind us here, a hole that opened up with a diametre of tens of metres and also tens of metres deep," Hetzroni said, adding that there was no significant damage, according to Reuters. The Houthi rebels, who have been striking Israel throughout the war in Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians, said in a video statement that the group fired a hypersonic ballistic missile at the airport, reported the Associated Press. Israeli defense minister Israel Katz vowed retribution for the airport attack: 'Whoever harms us, we will harm them sevenfold.'
Mint
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Houthis missile strikes near Israel's Ben Gurion Airport; flights resume after initial disruptions
A missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels towards Israel on Sunday landed near Ben Gurion Airport, the country's main international airport, sending a plume of smoke into the air and causing panic among passengers in the terminal building. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, who claimed responsibility for the missile strike, have recently intensified missile launches at Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. A senior Israeli police commander, Yair Hetzroni, showed reporters a crater caused by the impact of the missile, which airport authorities said had landed beside a road near a Terminal 3 parking lot. "You can see the scene right behind us here, a hole that opened up with a diameter of tens of metres and also tens of metres deep," Hetzroni said, adding that there was no significant damage. In a statement after the strike, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said: "Whoever harms us will be harmed sevenfold." Israel's Channel 12 News said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would meet security ministers and defence officials on Sunday to discuss a response. Most missile launches from Yemen have been intercepted by Israel's missile defence systems, apart from a strike that hit Tel Aviv last year. The military said it was investigating what happened with Sunday's launch, which caused sirens to be activated across central Israel, including nearby in the major city of Tel Aviv. A Reuters reporter at the airport, which is located between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, heard sirens and saw passengers reacting by running towards safe rooms. Several people at the airport posted videos filmed on smartphones that showed a plume of black smoke clearly visible nearby, behind parked aircraft and airport buildings. Reuters has not verified the videos. The Israeli ambulance service said eight people were being taken to hospital, including a man in a mild to moderate condition with injuries to his limbs and two women in a mild condition with head injuries. Claiming responsibility for the strike, the Houthis' military spokesperson Yahya Saree said Israel's main airport was "no longer safe for air travel". A spokesperson for the Israel Airports Authority said takeoffs and landings had resumed and operations at Ben Gurion had returned to normal, after reports of air traffic being halted and access routes to the airport being blocked. However, flight operations were disrupted due to the missile, according to Ben Gurion's live air traffic site. Some flights, including by Air India, TUS Airways and Lufthansa Group, were cancelled. Others, including to US airports Newark and JFK, were delayed by about 90 minutes. A Reuters reporter boarded a flight to Dubai that was on time. Sunday's strike came as Israeli ministers were reported to be close to signing off on plans to expand the military operation in Gaza, which resumed in March following a two-month truce, drawing a pledge from the Houthis to hit Israel with more missiles. Efforts to revive the ceasefire have so far faltered, and US President Donald Trump in March ordered large-scale strikes against the Houthis to reduce their capabilities and deter them from targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis, who control swathes of Yemen, began targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping in late 2023, during the early days of the war between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip. The war was triggered by Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. Israel's offensive on Gaza has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and destroyed much of the enclave. The US strikes on the rebel group, which have killed hundreds of people in Yemen, have been the biggest U.S. military operation in the Middle East since Trump took office in January. First Published: 4 May 2025, 05:38 PM IST
CNA
04-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Missile fired by Yemen's Houthis lands near Israel's main airport
BEN GURION AIRPORT, Israel: A missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels towards Israel on Sunday (May 4) landed near Ben Gurion Airport, the country's main international airport, sending a plume of smoke into the air and causing panic among passengers in the terminal building. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, who claimed responsibility for the missile strike, have recently intensified missile launches at Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. A senior Israeli police commander, Yair Hetzroni, showed reporters a crater caused by the impact of the missile, which airport authorities said had landed beside a road near a Terminal 3 parking lot. "You can see the scene right behind us here, a hole that opened up with a diametre of tens of metres and also tens of metres deep," Hetzroni said, adding that there was no significant damage. In a statement after the strike, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said: "Whoever harms us will be harmed sevenfold." Sirens were activated across central Israel in the minutes before it fell, including nearby in the major city of Tel Aviv. A Reuters reporter at the airport, which is located between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, heard sirens and saw passengers reacting by running towards safe rooms. Several people at the airport posted videos filmed on smartphones that showed a plume of black smoke clearly visible nearby, behind parked aircraft and airport buildings. Reuters has not verified the videos. The Israeli ambulance service said eight people were being taken to hospital, including a man in a mild to moderate condition with injuries to his limbs and two women in a mild condition with head injuries. A spokesperson for the Israel Airports Authority said takeoffs and landings had resumed and operations at Ben Gurion had returned to normal, after reports of air traffic being halted and access routes to the airport being blocked. However, flight operations were disrupted due to the missile, according to Ben Gurion's live air traffic site. Some flights, including by Air India, TUS Airways and Lufthansa Group, were cancelled. Others, including to US airports Newark and JFK, were delayed by about 90 minutes. A Reuters reporter boarded a flight to Dubai that was running on time. US STRIKES ON HOUTHIS Claiming responsibility for the strike, the Houthis' military spokesperson Yahya Saree reiterated a warning to airlines that the Israeli airport was "no longer safe for air travel". The Houthi missile strike comes after US President Donald Trump in March ordered large-scale strikes against the rebels to reduce their capabilities and deter them from targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis, who control swathes of Yemen, began targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping in late 2023, during the early days of the war between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip. The war was triggered by Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. Israel's offensive on Gaza has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians and destroyed much of the coastal enclave. The Houthis pledged to expand their range of targets in Israel in retaliation for a renewed Israeli offensive in Gaza launched in mid-March, breaking a two-month-old ceasefire. The US strikes on the rebel group
