Houthi Missile Hits Near Tel Aviv Airport
A ballistic missile launched from Yemen struck near the main terminal of Israel’s international airport close to Tel Aviv on Sunday, after the military failed to intercept the projectile seemingly aimed at one of the country’s most sensitive locations.
The strike, carried out by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, resulted in a temporary suspension of flights but there were no immediate reports of fatalities.
The Israeli military said that several efforts were made to intercept the missile and that an impact was identified in the area of Ben-Gurion Airport. The military added that the episode was under review.
The Magen David Adom emergency ambulance service said it was treating four people who were mildly or moderately injured by the blast, and two others who were injured while running for shelter.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called an urgent meeting of his security cabinet on Sunday and Israel Katz, the country’s defense minister, suggested that there would be a harsh response.
“Whoever harms us will be harmed by us sevenfold,” Mr. Katz said in a statement after the attack.
The Houthi militia began firing missiles at Israel more than a year ago in solidarity with Hamas, the Iran-backed group in the Gaza Strip. It has stepped up its attacks since Israel ended a cease-fire in its war in Gaza in mid-March.
Sunday’s missile attack, which struck at the start of the workweek in Israel, was the fourth by the Houthis targeting Israel over the past 48 hours. The other three were intercepted.
Israel’s Arrow aerial defense system, which is able to hit targets high in the atmosphere or beyond the atmosphere, has been successful in thwarting many long-range missile attacks. In October, the United States sent Israel a THAAD advanced missile defense system to assist in fending off attacks by Iran and its allies.
But by slipping through all the defenses, the strike on Sunday near the airport represented one the biggest successes for the Houthis in recent months — and one of the most serious failures for Israel.
Videos and images posted on social media showed a large plume of dark smoke rising from an open area near Terminal 3 at the airport, the main international flight terminal, as sirens wailed and people ran for cover.
Large missile fragments could be seen on the ground outside the entrance to the building and a road near the airport appeared to be covered in dirt and shrapnel. One video clip on social media showed police gathered in a muddy field nearby inspecting a large, deep crater.
In a statement shortly before the missile attack, the Israel Airport Authority said that 422 international flights were scheduled to arrive or depart on Sunday. After the strike, the airport authority said flights were suspended according to protocol. The airport began functioning again soon after, but some flights were canceled.
Myra Noveck, Adam Rasgon and Gabby Sobelman contributed reporting.
