Houthi Missile Strike Near Ben Gurion Airport Triggers Panic as Flights Cancelled and Injuries Reported
A missile strike launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels landed near Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport on Sunday, sparking widespread panic among passengers and raising serious concerns over the safety of air travel to and from the country’s main airport. The missile, fired from Yemen, exploded near a parking area adjacent to a main road, sending a large plume of black smoke into the air, as passengers in the terminal scrambled toward designated safe rooms amidst blaring sirens.
The Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, claimed responsibility for the attack. Their military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, confirmed the strike in a televised statement and reiterated the group’s warning to global airlines, declaring Ben Gurion Airport “no longer safe for air travel.” The group has been escalating its missile attacks on Israel in what it describes as an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, as tensions in the region continue to spiral.
Following the missile impact, Israeli police commander Yair Hetzroni presented the damage to the media, pointing out a large crater tens of meters wide and deep. Although there was no significant infrastructural damage to the airport itself, the psychological impact on travelers and airport personnel was palpable. Eight people were reportedly taken to hospital, including a man who sustained limb injuries and two women with head injuries. The Israeli ambulance service confirmed that all injuries were either mild or moderate.
Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, responded to the attack with a stern warning, stating, “Whoever harms us will be harmed sevenfold.” In response to the growing threat, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly convened an emergency meeting with key security ministers and defense officials to deliberate over potential military responses to the continued missile assaults.
Despite the chaos, a spokesperson for the Israel Airports Authority announced that flight operations had resumed and that Ben Gurion Airport had returned to normal. However, according to the airport’s live air traffic data, some disruptions lingered. Flights from carriers including Air India, TUS Airways, and Lufthansa were cancelled, while departures to major U.S. destinations such as Newark and JFK were delayed by approximately 90 minutes.
Eyewitness reports and smartphone footage shared on social media captured the tense moments after the strike, including visuals of the smoke cloud seen from the airport grounds behind parked aircraft and terminal buildings. Although Reuters has not independently verified these videos, they reflect the sheer anxiety and fear experienced by travelers during the incident.
This latest strike comes amid reports that Israeli ministers are close to approving an expansion of the ongoing military operation in Gaza. The conflict, which resumed in March following a brief two-month truce, has drawn intensified retaliation from the Houthis, who have vowed to increase missile attacks on Israel in tandem with developments in Gaza. Peace efforts to restore the ceasefire remain stalled.
The broader geopolitical context continues to evolve as the Houthis, who control significant territory in Yemen, have also been targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea since late 2023. In March, President Donald Trump ordered a series of large-scale U.S. airstrikes on Houthi positions, aiming to cripple their operational capabilities and secure maritime routes vital to global trade. These U.S. military actions represent the most extensive American campaign in the Middle East since Trump took office in January and have reportedly resulted in hundreds of deaths in Yemen.
As missile threats from the Houthis grow more frequent and bold, and with air travel infrastructure increasingly targeted, regional security remains on a knife’s edge. The international community is watching closely, as any further escalation could have significant ramifications for global travel, trade, and diplomacy in the Middle East.
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