A failed interception of a missile fired from Yemen forced Israel to briefly shut down its main international airport on Sunday, exposing the country’s vulnerabilities and the Houthi rebels’ continued ability to strike distant targets despite a sustained US military campaign.
Flights were halted at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv for about 30 minutes on Sunday morning after a missile landed in the airport’s vicinity, following what the Israeli military said were “several attempts” at interception. “The results of the interception are under review,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
The military fired its long-range Arrow interceptor at the incoming missile, an IDF spokesperson said. The US also has an advanced THAAD anti-missile system deployed in Israel.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack, which appears to be the first time the country’s international airport has been successfully targeted by the group.
“The American and Israeli defense systems failed to intercept the missile aimed at Ben Gurion Airport,” Yahya Saree, the group’s spokesperson, said in a statement, adding that the airport was targeted with a “hypersonic ballistic missile.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that the response would be severe.
“We will attack whoever attacks us sevenfold,” he said in a statement.
Israel’s security cabinet will convene on Sunday afternoon to discuss the incident, according to an Israeli official.
Travelers wait outside Ben Gurion Airport as flights are interrupted. – Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images
The incident marks a major security breach at one of the most heavily protected sites in the country, and is likely to raise questions about Israel’s ability to intercept such attacks despite its vaunted missile defense system.
Trains to and from the airport were also halted and police asked the public to refrain from arriving in the area.
Pictures from the scene showed debris from the impact of the missile on the grounds of the airport, littering the road toward the main terminal. A video shared on social media appeared to show the impact of the missile at the airport and a cloud of black smoke rising from the strike.
‘Twin of Palestine’
The Palestinian militant group Hamas praised the attack, calling Yemen “the twin of Palestine, as it continues to defy the most brutal forces of oppression, refusing submission or defeat despite the aggression it faces.”
Sunday’s strike marks the third consecutive day of missile launches from Yemen toward Israel, according to the IDF.
The Houthis claim their hypersonic missiles have stealth technology, a range of 2,150 kilometers (1,335 miles), high maneuverability and can travel up to speeds of Mach 16.
Israeli emergency services clear debris from a road outside Ben Gurion Airport. – Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images
Since Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza started in October 2023, the country has come under fire from missiles and rockets from Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, who claim to strike Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians. Almost all of the projectiles have been intercepted by Israel’s air defenses.
But in December, a Houthi missile hit Israel’s commercial capital Tel Aviv after a failed interception, leading to more than a dozen injuries. The Houthis said they fired a hypersonic ballistic missile labeled “Palestine 2” at an Israeli military target in the Jaffa area. And in July, the Houthis claimed responsibility for a deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv – the first such strike on the city by the group.
Israel has launched several strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, including the targeting of a power plant and maritime ports in January.
But the US military has carried out far more extensive strikes on targets in Yemen in recent weeks, aiming to weaken the group, whose attacks on Red Sea shipping have significantly disrupted global trade.
The campaign is also aimed at stopping launches targeting Israel, as well as commercial and US Navy vessels operating in the Middle East. Early last month, the cost of US the effort had approached $1 billion in just three weeks, including the deployment of B-2 stealth bombers and the use of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of high-end munitions.
But it has largely failed to disrupt the Houthis’ ability to launch ballistic missiles against Israel. The country’s vaunted missile defense system routinely intercepts the launches, but some have gotten through.
CNN’s Eyad Kourdi, Ebrahim Dahman and Nadeen Ebrahim contributed to this report.
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com