Houthis claim missile strike on Israeli airport; Israel vows retaliation

SANAA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group said on Friday it had launched a "hypersonic ballistic missile" targeting Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, hours after the Israeli military reported intercepting a projectile fired from Yemen.

The Houthis also claimed to have carried out a simultaneous drone strike on a military facility in Tel Aviv. The coordinated attack, announced via the group's al-Masirah television channel, came amid escalating cross-border hostilities.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said Israel's missile defense systems "failed to intercept" the launch and claimed the strike disrupted operations at Ben Gurion Airport for more than an hour, forcing "millions" into shelters. His statements could not be independently verified.

According to Sarea, the assault marked a continuation of the Houthis' declared campaign to impose an aerial blockade on Israel in retaliation for what he described as Israeli "war crimes" in Gaza. He urged international airlines to suspend flights to Israel and warned that Israeli-linked vessels in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea remained within missile range.

The Israeli military confirmed that air defense systems were activated and intercepted a projectile over central Israel. Air raid sirens sounded across the Tel Aviv area, prompting residents to take cover. A 55-year-old woman sustained minor injuries while fleeing, emergency services said.

A security source cited by The Times of Israel said the missile was downed by Israel's Arrow long-range missile defense system. The source also reported that a U.S.-supplied THAAD interceptor was deployed but failed to hit its target, the second reported THAAD failure since Sunday.

On May 4, a similar Houthi missile struck near Ben Gurion Airport after both Arrow and THAAD systems malfunctioned, prompting retaliatory Israeli strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen.

Since Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza on March 18, Houthi forces have launched around 28 ballistic missiles and dozens of drones toward Israeli territory, according to Israeli media.

The escalation followed a ceasefire agreement between Washington and the Houthis, mediated by Oman and announced on Tuesday. The deal aimed to end a spate of mutual attacks but does not extend to Israeli targets or Israeli-linked shipping.

"The Houthis continue to launch Iranian missiles at Israel," Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. "As we promised, we will respond forcefully in Yemen and wherever necessary."

The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, have positioned their continued attacks on Israel as a separate front. Houthi officials said the ceasefire with the United States had succeeded in "neutralizing" U.S. military pressure, but not their campaign against Israel.

"Israel now stands exposed on the front line, within range of our missiles," said Nasr al-Din Amir, a senior Houthi media official.

No U.S. airstrikes against Houthi targets have been reported since the ceasefire took effect. Israel, which lies more than 2,000 kilometers from Yemen, has limited capacity to strike the Houthis directly and continues to rely heavily on U.S. support.■