The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported that the incident temporarily halted landing and takeoff operations at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, and delayed several incoming flights.
The Israeli military added in its statement that the missile launch came a day after an Israeli airstrike targeting the port of Hodeidah in western Yemen, as part of what it described as Operation "Long Braid," the first strike carried out by Israel against targets in Yemen in two weeks.
In contrast, the Yemeni Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attack, asserting in a televised statement by its military spokesman, Yahya Saree, that it had carried out a "selective" operation using a Palestine 2 hypersonic ballistic missile, targeting Ben Gurion Airport and "successfully achieving its goal," according to the statement.
Saree considered the operation "a response to the genocide committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip and a victory for the Palestinian people," stressing that operations against Israel would continue until the attack on Gaza was halted and the blockade lifted.
On Monday, the Houthis announced the implementation of a "selective" military operation using drones targeting five Israeli targets, including Ben Gurion and Ramon airports, and the port of Eilat. This came hours after Israeli airstrikes on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
In addition to their missile strikes, the Houthis have been attacking ships belonging to and bound for Israel in protest against the war of extermination Tel Aviv has been waging against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.
The genocide, backed by the United States, left more than 200,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing. Hundreds of thousands were displaced, and a famine claimed the lives of many, including dozens of children.
