A missile fired from Yemen struck near Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport on Sunday, May 4, temporarily disrupting air traffic and prompting a sharp warning from Israeli officials.
The strike—claimed by Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels—triggered air raid sirens and explosions across the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv areas, raising fresh security concerns.
Israeli police confirmed a “missile impact” near the airport, and the military said multiple interception attempts were made. It remains unclear whether the large crater discovered near the site was caused by the missile itself or defensive countermeasures.
In a video from the scene, Central District Police Chief Yair Hezroni described a crater “several dozen meters wide and deep” located in an orchard within view of the airport’s control tower. Footage released by authorities emphasized the close proximity of the blast to Israel’s busiest aviation hub.
Operations at Ben Gurion were briefly paused but quickly resumed. “Departures and arrivals have resumed. The airport is open and operational,” confirmed Israel’s Airport Authority.
Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant issued a strong warning in response to the attack: “Anyone who hits us, we will hit them seven times harder.”
The missile strike is the latest in a pattern of Huthi aggression since the start of the Gaza war in 2023.
The group, which controls large swaths of Yemen, has targeted Israel and Red Sea shipping lanes, allegedly in protest of Israel’s blockade of aid to Gaza. Although no group officially claimed responsibility for Sunday’s strike, it came amid a series of Huthi missile launches over the weekend.
While most previous missiles were intercepted by Israeli defenses, the group resumed its attacks in March following a temporary ceasefire in Gaza.
In response to the escalation, the United States began a sustained air campaign against Huthi targets on March 15. Under both President Biden and his successor Donald Trump, the U.S. has struck over 1,000 targets in Yemen in an effort to secure Red Sea and Gulf of Aden shipping routes.
