Yemen's Houthis claim retaliatory missile attack on Ben Gurion Airport

Sanaa, Aug 18 (IANS) Yemen's Houthi group has said that it had launched a hypersonic ballistic missile at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv in retaliation for an Israeli strike on a power station in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on Sunday in a televised address on the movement's al-Masirah TV that the missile successfully achieved its goal, forcing millions of Israelis to "rush to shelters and suspend the airport's operations".

He said the attack was in response to what he called Israel's "crimes of genocide and starvation in Gaza" and its "aggression against Yemen".

The Israeli military said in a statement that it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, triggering sirens across the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

It did not report damage or casualties.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, quoted by Israel's Channel 12, said the military earlier in the day had struck an infrastructure target in Houthi-controlled territory, including a power station in southern Sanaa.

Authorities in Sanaa said Israeli missiles destroyed electricity generators at the Hezyaz power station in southern Sanaa.

No casualties were reported.

The site has been hit repeatedly since last year.

The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have carried out drone and missile attacks on Israel since November 2023 in what they describe as solidarity with Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Most of the projectiles have been intercepted by Israeli defences.

Israel has responded with strikes on Houthi-held areas, targeting airports, power stations, and ports in Sanaa and Hodeidah.

Just a day before the latest missile incident on August 15, the Houthis claimed they had launched four drone attacks targeting Haifa, Negev, Eilat, and Be’er Sheva, reportedly using six drones.

Sarea said those strikes also achieved their objectives and were similarly framed as acts of solidarity with Palestinians.

In July 2025, the Houthis resumed attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, targeting vessels they allege have ties to Israel.

These attacks are part of their broader campaign to pressure Israel into ending its military operations in Gaza.

The Houthis' ongoing attacks on Israeli territory and interests -- both on land and at sea -- underscore the growing regional impact of the Israel-Hamas war, drawing in militant groups from across the Middle East.

Despite Israel’s defences largely neutralizing these threats, the incidents have heightened tensions and complicated international diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalation.

--IANS

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