ALBAWABA - In what it called a "strategic military operation," the Houthi movement in Yemen, also known as Ansar Allah, said on Sunday that it had launched a ballistic missile assault against Ben Gurion Airport, which is close to Tel Aviv.
The hypersonic ballistic missile was fired as part of a campaign to respond to the conflict in Gaza, the group's military spokesman said in a statement. According to the Houthis, "millions of Israelis" fled to bomb shelters as a result of the missile's successful impact on the airport, which caused widespread panic.
The strike affected aviation activity at the airport, which the release called Lod Airport, according to the statement, which also claimed that several foreign airlines had already started to halt flights to and from the airport in recent days as a result of earlier warnings.
The organization stressed that as long as Israeli strikes on Gaza continue and the embargo is in effect, it would continue to impose a no-fly zone surrounding Ben Gurion Airport and its military activities will continue.
The declaration was made in the midst of rising regional tensions and Houthi troops' growing engagement in anti-Israeli and pro-Palestinian operations in Gaza. The assertion highlights the expanding scope of the Houthis' regional activities, even if Israeli officials have not yet provided an official confirmation at the time of publication.
