Sana’a: Yemen launched hypersonic missiles targeting Tel Aviv early on Friday, causing widespread disruption in Israeli-occupied territories. The missile hit Ben Gurion Airport, forcing its immediate shutdown.
Air raid sirens blared across several parts of the region, forcing thousands of residents to scramble for shelter. Israeli emergency services reported that 18 people were injured in Tel Aviv as they attempted to reach safety.
Yemeni armed forces claim responsibility for strike
According to Mehr News Agency reports, Yemeni armed forces took responsibility for the missile attack, calling it a “specific military operation” aimed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. They stated that the missile, identified as a Palestine-2 hypersonic ballistic missile, successfully struck its target despite Israel’s defense efforts.
The Yemeni forces also reported casualties and said the strike led to the suspension of airport operations.
The missile strike exposed a vulnerability in Israel’s defence systems. Videos showed Israel’s Iron Dome, a missile defense system, struggling to intercept the projectile. This led to lockdowns across parts of the occupied territories, with local outlets describing it as a major security failure for Israel.
Israeli airstrikes on Yemen
The attack came just hours after Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes on Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, and the port city of Hudaydah. The Israeli jets targeted the Sana’a International Airport and the al-Dailami air base, as well as a power station in Hudaydah. Yemen’s Ansarullah movement condemned these attacks, calling them a “Zionist crime” against the Yemeni people.
Following the missile attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is only at the beginning of its campaign against the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen. In an interview with Channel 14, Netanyahu said, “We are just getting started with them.”
Previous missile attacks from Yemen
This missile strike on Friday follows a series of attacks launched from Yemen, with air raid sirens sounding across Israeli-occupied territories for the second consecutive night. Just a few days back, another missile fired from Yemen set off sirens and forced residents to seek cover, marking the fourth such attack in a week.
Earlier in the week, a missile launched from Yemen had left 16 people injured in Tel Aviv, after Israel’s defense systems once again failed to intercept the projectile.
