VIDEO: Houthi missile lands near Israel's main airport, flights halted

A missile launched by Yemen rebels Yemen on Sunday briefly halted flights and commuter traffic at Israel's main international airport after an impact left a plume of smoke and caused panic among passengers.

The Houthi rebels have been striking Israel throughout the war in Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians. 

The attack on Ben-Gurion International Airport came hours before top Israeli Cabinet ministers were set to vote on whether to intensify the country’s military operations in the Gaza Strip. 

The army meanwhile began calling up thousands of reserves in anticipation of a wider operation in Gaza, officials said.

The missile launch on Sunday set off air raid sirens in multiple parts of Israel. 

A plume of smoke was visible at the airport, according to footage shared by Israeli media. Passengers were heard yelling and scrambling for cover.

It was not immediately clear whether the projectile, which landed in a field near an access road leading to airport parking lots, was the missile or its fragments, or an interceptor from Israel's air defense systems.

It left a deep crater in the ground and a nearby road was littered with dirt.

Police said that air, road and rail traffic were halted following the attack. The traffic resumed after about an hour, Israel Airports Authority said. Israel’s paramedic service Magen David Adom said four people were lightly wounded.

Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a video statement that the group fired a hypersonic ballistic missile at the airport.

Houthi rebels have been firing at Israel since the war with Gaza erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, and the missiles have mostly been intercepted, although some have penetrated Israel's missile defence systems, causing damage.

Associated Press