Israel warns of retaliation after Houthi strike on airport: As it happened
Israel’s main airport was struck by a ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Sunday morning. The missile hit a grove near an access road inside the perimeter of Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. Media reports suggest that at least six people were wounded.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that it failed to intercept the missile despite several attempts.
“An impact was identified in the area of Ben Gurion Airport,” the IDF said in a post on Telegram. The Israeli Air Force is investigating the failure.
The Houthis, who control western Yemen, including the capital and the port of Hodeidah, have launched a number of drones and missiles at commercial vessels passing through the Red Sea and at targets in Israel over the past year, aiming to pressure West Jerusalem over its military operation in Gaza. Israel launched the campaign following a deadly raid by the Palestinian militant group Hamas in October 2023. The Houthis said they would stop the attacks if Israel halts its operation in Gaza.
Israel has not launched strikes against Yemen in response to the Houthi attacks. The US, however, began air and naval strikes against Houthi targets in March, citing threats to Red Sea shipping. Last week, US President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to intensify strikes in Yemen and warned that the Houthis would be “completely annihilated” if they continued their attacks. The UK has also taken part in the strikes, with the Defense Ministry saying it targeted a Houthi-controlled facility.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused Iran of arming the Houthis and warned there would be consequences. Tehran denied the claims. The US, however, announced sweeping sanctions on countries buying Iranian oil or petrochemicals on Thursday, citing Tehran’s alleged role in fueling conflict in the Middle East, among other things.
Russia has urged Washington to halt its strikes on Yemen. In a phone call in March with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called for an immediate end to the use of force and urged all sides to engage in political dialogue.
05 May 2025
01:14 GMTThis stream has ended.
04 May 2025
23:10 GMTTehran has denied that it was directing the Houthi attacks. “The Yemenis’ actions in support of the Palestinian people were their independent decision,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said. “Attributing it to the Islamic Republic of Iran is misleading.”
- 20:14 GMT
The Houthis have announced their intention to impose “a comprehensive air blockade” on Israel by “repeatedly targeting its airports, most notably… Ben Gurion Airport.”
The military group has urged international airlines to cancel all scheduled flights to Israel “to preserve the safety of their aircraft and their agents,” according to its spokesperson, Yahya Saree.
- 19:59 GMT
Iran recently successfully test-fired a ballistic missile called Qassem Basir, which boasts a reported range of 1,200km (746 miles) and improved maneuverability, the country’s defense minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh, has announced on state TV.
Footage purportedly depicting the launch, which was said to have taken place last month, has been released in the local media.
Iran unveiled a new ballistic missile called Qassem Basir with an operational range of 1,200 kilometers.Follow Press TV on Telegram: https://t.co/mLGcUTS2eipic.twitter.com/en1DKhxghJ
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) May 4, 2025Nasirzadeh also warned the US that “if we are attacked or a war is imposed on us, we will respond with might,” by striking American “interests and their bases.”
The announcement came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the Houthis “acted under the orders and with the support of their patron — Iran” in firing a missile at Ben Gurion Airport.
Iran has repeatedly denied the accusations by Israel and the US that it supports the Houthis.
- 16:36 GMT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed Iran for the Houthi strike and vowed a response.
Writing on X, he shared Donald Trump’s post from March in which the US president also made accusations against Tehran.
“President Trump is absolutely right!” Netanyahu said. “Attacks by the Houthis emanate from Iran. Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters.”
Iran has repeatedly denied the claims that it aids the Houthis.
President Trump is absolutely right!Attacks by the Houthis emanate from Iran. Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters. pic.twitter.com/eO4hyUzNsI
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 4, 2025 - 15:36 GMT
In response to widespread flight cancelations by foreign airlines following the Houthi missile strike, Israeli carrier El Al has announced it is offering special one-way fares to help Israeli travelers stranded in Cyprus and Greece get home.
Flights from Larnaca are available for up to $99, and from Athens for up to $149, the company said on social media.
- 13:53 GMT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to take action against the Houthis following the Ben Gurion Airport attack.
“We operated against them in the past and we will operate in the future,” he said in a video address posted on X.
“It’s not ‘bang – that’s it,’ but there will be bangs,” he added, without elaborating.
- 13:21 GMT
The IDF has confirmed that the missile that struck the grounds of Ben Gurion Airport was fired from Yemen. The missile traveled nearly 2,150km before landing about 350m from the passenger terminal at the airport, according to local media reports. It left a crater 25m wide.
The massive crater created by the Houthi ballistic missile impact this morning near Ben Gurion International Airport in Central Israel. The missile impacted next to an access road outside the airport, with the crater measured to be 25 meters across and several meters deep. pic.twitter.com/brXIO1qVC7
— fahimiqbalemon (@fahimiqbalemon) May 4, 2025 - 13:15 GMT
Lebanon-based Hezbollah has called the Houthi missile strike on Ben Gurion Airport a “heroic attack” that highlighted the failure of US and British efforts to weaken Yemen.
“This heroic attack confirms once again their inability to break the solid will of the Yemeni people or push them to retreat from their honorable position in supporting Gaza, in confronting the war of extermination waged by the Zionist enemy against innocent civilians,” a Hezbollah spokesman said in a statement, as cited by the media.
The group added the strike should serve as a call to action for all Arab and Islamic nations to mobilize their resources in support of Gaza.
- 12:54 GMT
Shares of Israeli airlines El Al and Israir have surged after the Houthi missile strike near Ben Gurion Airport prompted several foreign carriers to suspend flights to Tel Aviv.
El Al stock jumped 6.9%, extending its gains to nearly 40% this year. Israir shares rose by 3.8%.
Major foreign airlines, including Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Wizz Air, and Air France, suspended service to Tel Aviv through at least Tuesday. Air Europa also canceled a scheduled flight from Madrid on Monday, citing security concerns.
