Yemeni rebels target Israel’s main airport with hypersonic weapon

Yemen’s Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, announced that its forces had carried out a missile strike targeting Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, using what it described as a “Palestine-2” hypersonic ballistic missile.

The claim was made on July 22 by Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree and was broadcast by the group’s affiliated Al Masirah network.

Saree stated that the strike was part of a “special military operation” directed at Lod Airport, which houses the Ben Gurion facility.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed the interception of a missile launched from Yemeni territory but reported no casualties or damage. According to the IDF, the missile was successfully neutralised before it could impact Israeli territory.

At 5:50 a.m. local time, air raid sirens—known in Hebrew as “Tzeva Adom”—were activated across central Israel. The alerts were heard in Tel Aviv, Beit Shemesh, Kiryat Gat, and Ashdod. Ben Gurion Airport briefly suspended operations during the alert but resumed service shortly afterward. No missile debris was found near the airport, and the facility sustained no damage.

This latest incident marks a continuation of Houthi hostilities following the breakdown of a ceasefire earlier this year. In the wake of the 2023 conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis had issued warnings of direct strikes on Israeli territory and vowed to block maritime traffic linked to Israel through the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Although those threats were temporarily halted during a truce that began in January, renewed fighting in March led to the resumption of both missile attacks on Israeli-linked vessels and attempted strikes on Israeli soil. Ben Gurion Airport has become a recurring target in these renewed hostilities.

By Tamilla Hasanova