Yemeni Houthis strike Tel Aviv with Zolfiqar missile, drones, claim responsibility

The Yemeni Houthi movement, Ansarallah, has claimed responsibility for a missile strike on Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport, using a hypersonic Zolfiqar ballistic missile.

The attack, which was announced on the Houthi-controlled Al Masirah TV channel, was confirmed by Yemeni armed forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree, Caliber.Az reports.

In his statement, Saree detailed the operation, saying, "The missile forces carried out a military operation in which they attacked Ben-Gurion Airport in the occupied Jaffa region (meaning Tel Aviv) using a Zolfiqar ballistic missile."

The Houthis further claimed to have conducted a second military operation, targeting two strategic sites in the Israeli cities of Jaffa and Haifa with Yafa drones. These drone strikes are said to have targeted critical infrastructure in the region.

Ansarallah have maintained a campaign of missile and drone attacks against Israel, which the group claims are in response to Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza that led to more than 173,000 Palestinian casualties, most of them women and children, with over 11,000 still missing.

The reported strike comes amid heightened tensions in the region, and while Israeli authorities have yet to comment on the attack, the Houthis’ ability to strike deep within Israeli territory signals an escalation in their military capabilities. 

By Vafa Guliyeva