Media365
Tel Aviv:
The ballistic missile fired by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen hit near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport after “several attempts” to intercept it failed, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Sunday. Israel has, meanwhile, pledged to hit back ‘seven times stronger’ after Yemen missile fire.
The missile struck a grove adjacent to an access road, inside the country’s main airport’s perimeter, according to a report by the Times of Israel.
The military said it made several attempts to intercept the missile fired from Yemen, but “an impact was identified in the area of Ben Gurion Airport.”
The Israeli Air Force’s aerial defence array is probing the failure. “An investigation is underway regarding the impact at the Ben Gurion Airport area,” the Israel Airport Authority says in a statement.
At least one person was reportedly hurt after the missile fell on one of the airport’s parking lots. Surveillance camera footage emerged on social media showing the moment the Houthi missile struck near the airport.
Absolutely INSANE footage of the impact from a Houthi missile on Israel’s Ben Gurion airport.
What would happen if this was JFK or Heathrow – do you think the Houthis would exist tomorrow? How about their Iranian backers? pic.twitter.com/Qbv5BeGxWG
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) May 4, 2025
There was no report of any major damage in the attack, but the airspace was closed for around an hour. However, the airport reopened its airspace and resumed takeoffs and landings shortly after.
Meanwhile, National Unity chairman and former Israeli Minister Benny Gantz, who quit the government last year in June in protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy on the war in Gaza, called on the government to hold Iran accountable for the strike.
“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 defence minister on X.
“The Israeli government must wake up,” he insisted, arguing that fire on Israel “must lead to a severe response in Tehran.”
