Latest news with #IsraelAirportsAuthority
Gulf Today
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
VIDEO: Houthi missile lands near Israel's main airport, flights halted
A missile launched by Yemen rebels Yemen on Sunday briefly halted flights and commuter traffic at Israel's main international airport after an impact left a plume of smoke and caused panic among passengers. The Houthi rebels have been striking Israel throughout the war in Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians. The attack on Ben-Gurion International Airport came hours before top Israeli Cabinet ministers were set to vote on whether to intensify the country's military operations in the Gaza Strip. The army meanwhile began calling up thousands of reserves in anticipation of a wider operation in Gaza, officials said. The missile launch on Sunday set off air raid sirens in multiple parts of Israel. A plume of smoke was visible at the airport, according to footage shared by Israeli media. Passengers were heard yelling and scrambling for cover. It was not immediately clear whether the projectile, which landed in a field near an access road leading to airport parking lots, was the missile or its fragments, or an interceptor from Israel's air defense systems. It left a deep crater in the ground and a nearby road was littered with dirt. Police said that air, road and rail traffic were halted following the attack. The traffic resumed after about an hour, Israel Airports Authority said. Israel's paramedic service Magen David Adom said four people were lightly wounded. Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a video statement that the group fired a hypersonic ballistic missile at the airport. Houthi rebels have been firing at Israel since the war with Gaza erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, and the missiles have mostly been intercepted, although some have penetrated Israel's missile defence systems, causing damage. Associated Press
AsiaOne
05-05-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Missile fired by Yemen's Houthis lands near Israel's main airport, Asia News
BEN GURION AIRPORT, Israel — A missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels towards Israel on Sunday (May 4) landed near the country's main international airport, causing panic among passengers and drawing threats of retaliation against the group and Iran. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis claimed responsibility for the missile strike that struck near Ben Gurion Airport, the latest in a string of attacks, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate. "Attacks by the Houthis emanate from Iran. Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters," Netanyahu said on X. In a separate video issued by his office, Netanyahu said: "We will do what we need to do to take care of our security, to respond effectively, and to give Iran due warning that this cannot continue." Houthis said in a statement later on Sunday that they would impose "a comprehensive aerial blockade" on Israel by repeatedly targeting its airports, in response to Israel expanding its "aggressive" operation in Gaza. Most attacks from Yemen have been intercepted by Israel's missile defence systems, though a drone strike hit Tel Aviv last year. Sunday's missile was the only one of a series launched since March that was not intercepted. Later on Sunday, the Israeli military concluded an assessment and cited a technical issue with the interceptor launched toward the missile. "Initial findings reveal no malfunction in the detection procedure, interception systems, or Homefront Command alert mechanisms," the army added in a statement. US strikes on Houthis A Reuters reporter at the airport heard sirens and saw passengers running towards safe rooms. Several people posted videos showing a plume of black smoke visible behind parked aircraft and airport buildings. Pictures showed a nearby road scattered with dust and debris. The Israeli ambulance service said eight people were taken to hospital for mild to moderate injuries. An Israeli police commander, Yair Hetzroni, showed reporters a crater caused by the impact of the missile, which airport authorities said landed beside a road near a Terminal 3 parking lot. The airport lies near the major city of Tel Aviv. "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. Claiming responsibility, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said Israel's main airport was "no longer safe for air travel." The Israel Airports Authority said normal operations had resumed, after reports of air traffic being halted and access routes to the airport being blocked. However, a string of airlines including Lufthansa, Delta, ITA Airways and Air France said they had cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv, some of which had been scheduled for Monday or Tuesday. 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, prompting the Houthis to hit Israel with more missiles. Efforts to revive the ceasefire have 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 strikes have killed hundreds of people in Yemen. "The US military continues its operation against the Houthis, which has included over 1,000 strikes against these terrorists and we will continue to coordinate with the Israeli government through diplomatic channels," US National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt said in an email to Reuters. "The Trump administration remains committed to ending the Houthis' capabilities to hijack freedom of navigation in the Red Sea." He did not directly address the airport incident. 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 offencive on Gaza has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians and destroyed much of the enclave. [[nid:717663]]
Calgary Herald
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Missile from Yemen halts flights in Israel hours before vote on intensifying Gaza war
BEN-GURION INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Israel — A missile launched by Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen briefly halted flights and commuter traffic at Israel's main international airport on Sunday after its impact on open ground within the perimeter left a plume of smoke and caused panic among passengers. Article content Article content The Houthis have targeted Israel throughout the war in Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians. The attack on Ben-Gurion International Airport came hours before Israeli Cabinet ministers were set to vote on whether to intensify military operations in Gaza. The army began calling up thousands of reserves in anticipation of a wider operation, officials said. Article content Article content Israel's army confirmed this was the first time a missile struck the airport grounds since the war began, though fragments of missiles or interceptors have struck nearby. Israel's military said several attempts to intercept it were unsuccessful. It left a crater near the airport's access road. Article content Article content Passengers were heard yelling and scrambling for cover in footage shared by Israeli media. Police said air, road and rail traffic were halted. Traffic resumed after about an hour, Israel Airports Authority said. Israel's paramedic service Magen David Adom said four people were lightly wounded. Article content Multiple international airlines canceled or postponed flights. The war with Hamas in Gaza and then Hezbollah in Lebanon had led a wave of airlines to suspend flights to Israel, but they have since returned to prewar levels. Article content Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a video statement that the group fired a hypersonic ballistic missile at the airport. Article content Article content Houthi rebels have been firing at Israel since the war with Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023. The missiles have mostly been intercepted, although some have penetrated Israel's missile defense systems, causing damage. Article content Israel has struck back against the rebels in Yemen, and the U.S., Israel's top ally, launched a campaign of strikes in March against them. Article content Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the U.S. was supporting Israeli operations against the Houthis. 'It's not bang, bang and we're done, but there will be bangs,' he said in a video posted on social media. Article content Netanyahu in a later statement said Israel would respond to the Houthi attack 'AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters.'
RNZ News
04-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Missile fired by Yemen's Houthis lands near Israel's main airport
By Mustafa Abu Ganeyeh , Reuters Israeli emergency services clear a road outside Israel's Ben Gurion airport after a missile launched from Yemen struck near the facility on May 4, 2025. Photo: JACK GUEZ / AFP A missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels towards Israel on Sunday landed near the country's main international airport, causing panic among passengers and drawing threats of retaliation against the group and Iran. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis claimed responsibility for the missile strike that struck near Ben Gurion Airport, the latest in a string of attacks, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate. "Attacks by the Houthis emanate from Iran. Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters," Netanyahu said on X. President Trump is absolutely right! Attacks by the Houthis emanate from Iran. Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters. In a separate video issued by his office, Netanyahu said: "We will do what we need to do to take care of our security, to respond effectively, and to give Iran due warning that this cannot continue." Most attacks from Yemen have been intercepted by Israel's missile defence systems, though a drone strike hit Tel Aviv last year. Sunday's missile was the only one of a series launched since March that was not intercepted. The Israeli military said it was investigating. A Reuters reporter at the airport heard sirens and saw passengers running towards safe rooms. Several people posted videos showing a plume of black smoke visible behind parked aircraft and airport buildings. Pictures showed a nearby road scattered with dust and debris. The Israeli ambulance service said eight people were taken to hospital for mild to moderate injuries. An Israeli police commander, Yair Hetzroni, showed reporters a crater caused by the impact of the missile, which airport authorities said landed beside a road near a Terminal 3 parking lot. The airport lies near the major city of Tel Aviv. "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. Claiming responsibility, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said Israel's main airport was "no longer safe for air travel". The Israel Airports Authority said normal operations had resumed, after reports of air traffic being halted and access routes to the airport being blocked. However, a string of airlines including Lufthansa, Delta, ITA Airways and Air France said they had cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv, some of which had been scheduled for Monday or Tuesday. 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, prompting the Houthis to hit Israel with more missiles. Efforts to revive the ceasefire have 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 strikes have killed hundreds of people in Yemen. 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 7 October, 2023, in which 1200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. Israel's offensive on Gaza has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians and destroyed much of the enclave. - Reuters
News18
04-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
‘There'll Be Many Bangs': Israel's Netanyahu Vows Multi-Phase Retaliation To Houthi Strike On Airport
Published By : AFP Netanyahu said Israel has previously acted against the Houthis and will continue to do so in the future as well. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed a multi-phased response to Yemen's Houthis after the rebels struck the area of Israel's main airport, wounding six people and prompting several major airlines to suspend flights. The Israeli military confirmed that the attack, which gouged a large crater in the perimeter of Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, was launched from Yemen and had struck despite 'several attempts… to intercept the missile". In a video published on Telegram, Netanyahu said Israel had 'acted against" the Iran-backed rebels in the past and 'will act in the future". 'It will not happen in one bang, but there will be many bangs," the Israeli prime minister added, referring to the promised retaliation, without going into further detail. A police video showed officers standing on the edge of a deep hole in the ground with the control tower visible behind them. No damage was reported to airport infrastructure. The police reported a 'missile impact" at Israel's main international gateway. An AFP photographer said the missile hit near the parking lots of Terminal 3, the airport's largest. The crater was just hundreds of metres (yards) from the tarmac. 'You can see the area just behind us: a crater was formed here, several dozen metres wide and several dozen metres deep," central Israel's police chief, Yair Hezroni, said in the video. The Israel Airports Authority said: 'This is the first time a missile has fallen so close to the terminal and the runways." 'Hit them' Earlier, the Houthis, who say they act in support of Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza, claimed responsibility for the attack. The rebels said their forces 'carried out a military operation targeting Ben Gurion airport" with a 'hypersonic ballistic missile". Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad later hailed the attack on the airport. Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said it had treated at least six people with light to moderate injuries. An AFP journalist inside the airport at the time of the attack said he heard a 'loud bang" at around 9:35 am (0635 GMT), adding that the 'reverberation was very strong". 'Security staff immediately asked hundreds of passengers to take shelter, some in bunkers," the AFP journalist said. 'Many passengers are now waiting for their flights to take off, and others are trying to find alternative flights." An incoming Air India flight was diverted to Abu Dhabi, an airport official told AFP. It was one of the airlines to suspend Tel Aviv flights until Tuesday along with Germany's Lufthansa Group, which includes Austrian, Eurowings and SWISS. A passenger said the attack, which came shortly after air raid sirens sounded across parts of Israel, caused 'panic". 'It is crazy to say but since October 7 we are used to this," the 50-year-old, who did not want to be named, said referring to the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war. 'Close call' An airline official said: 'Today was a close call". 'I have worked at the airport for several years but even I was afraid today," they told AFP. Flights resumed after being halted briefly, with the aviation authority saying Ben Gurion was now 'open and operational". Israel's security cabinet would meet on Sunday, a government official said, after media also reported a planned expansion of the Gaza war with call-up orders issued for tens of thousands of reserve troops. Several news outlets said the military had begun sending the orders for reservists to replace conscripts and active-duty soldiers in Israel and the occupied West Bank so they can be redeployed to Gaza. A military spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied the reports but Israel's public broadcaster said the security cabinet would meet to discuss the expanded offensive. The Houthis, who control swathes of Yemen, have launched missiles and drones targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping throughout the Gaza war. Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid deadlock over how to proceed with a two-month ceasefire that had largely stopped the war. Sunday's attack on Israel was the fourth the Houthis have claimed in three days. top videos View all Israel has intercepted most of the Huthi missiles fired since the Gaza war started. The US military has been hammering the rebels with near-daily strikes since March 15. (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - AFP) First Published:
