A missile fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen hit Israel’s Ben Gurion airport on Sunday, prompting suggestions from within Israel that the country could retaliate against Iran, the Houthis’ main backers.
Six people were injured by the strike, none seriously. The missile landed in the grounds of the airport, in a grove of trees.
Surveillance camera footage showed the moment the missile struck.
The Israeli military said attempts were made to shoot down the missile, including with a US THAAD system deployed to the country, but they all failed.
Israel’s main airport was closed for several hours as a result.
The attack is the first time a Houthi missile directed at Israel has hit Ben Gurion. A Hezbollah missile hit the airport in November, damaging a parking lot.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Houthi official, told an Arab TV channel that the rebel group had shown it is capable of hitting sensitive targets in Israel. He said the group has “no red lines” in its fight against Israel.
After the attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a meeting with Defense Minister Israel Katz and other top defense officials to examine potential responses.
In a short statement following the attack, Katz said, “Whoever harms us, we will strike them sevenfold.”
The opposition National Unity party chairman and former defense minister Benny Gantz called on the government to hold Iran directly accountable for the attack.
“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,” Gantz wrote on X.
“The Israeli government must wake up,” he said, arguing that fire on Israel “must lead to a severe response against Tehran.”
The Houthis began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the 7 October Hamas attack.
The United States has intensified her airstrikes in Yemen against the Houthis in recent weeks, targeting their leadership and infrastructure. President Donald Trump has warned that Iran will be made to pay the price for Houthi missile attacks.