Houthis from Yemen Claim Attack on Ben Gurion Airport with Hypersonic Missile
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Sanaa, Dec 27 (NationPress) The Houthi faction from Yemen declared on Friday the launch of a hypersonic ballistic missile aimed at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, asserting that it successfully struck its target.
In a statement broadcasted on the Houthi-operated al-Masirah TV, military spokesperson Yahya Sarea mentioned that the strike resulted in casualties and caused disruption to the airport's air traffic.
"The missile managed to reach its intended target despite the enemy's attempts to maintain secrecy. The operation led to casualties and the temporary halting of air traffic at the airport," Sarea claimed.
However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) countered that they intercepted the missile. The IDF confirmed that air traffic was paused for approximately 30 minutes, while Magen David Adom, Israel's emergency service, reported that 18 individuals sustained minor injuries while seeking shelter.
The Houthis also took responsibility for other assaults, including a drone strike on what they characterized as a 'critical' site in Tel Aviv and an attack on a vessel named Santa Ursula near Yemen's Socotra Island in the Arabian Sea. According to Sarea, the vessel was targeted due to its alleged ties to Israeli ports.
"The Israeli aggression against civilian infrastructures in Sanaa and Hodeidah will bolster our resolve to stand with the Palestinian people," Sarea vowed, promising to escalate assaults on Israeli targets until the 'aggression' on Gaza ceases and the blockade is lifted.
Israel executed airstrikes on Thursday, targeting Houthi positions in Yemen, including Sanaa International Airport and facilities in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. According to reports from Houthi-controlled al-Masirah TV, the strikes inflicted considerable damage, resulting in at least six fatalities and numerous injuries, one of whom was a United Nations staff member, as reported by Xinhua.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), was present at Sanaa International Airport, getting ready to board a UN flight, when the Israeli airstrikes occurred. He confirmed that he and his team were unharmed in the strikes.
Ghebreyesus was in Sanaa for discussions aimed at facilitating the release of UN personnel who had been detained by the Houthi faction earlier in the year. He urged the Houthi leadership to promptly free the detained staff members.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also condemned the escalating violence, urging compliance with international law.
The airstrike on Thursday marked the fourth Israeli attack on Houthi-controlled sites this year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to dismantling the Houthis' military capabilities, labeling them as a 'terror arm of the Iranian axis of evil.'
The Houthis, who exert control over much of northern Yemen, have intensified their attacks against Israel and Israeli-linked shipping since November 2023, framing their military actions as a show of support for Palestinians during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
