Yemen announces hypersonic missile strike on Ben Gurion Airport
The Yemeni Armed Forces hit the Ben Gurion Airport with a hypersonic missile and warned airlines to comply with the air blockade on "Israel".
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A boy draped in a Palestinian flag carries a mock rocket during a weekly anti-US and anti-Israeli rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, May 9, 2025 (AP)
The Yemeni Armed Forces announced on Friday that they carried out a qualitative military operation targeting the Ben Gurion Airport, located in occupied Yafa, as part of their ongoing campaign to impose an air blockade on the Israeli occupation.
According to an official statement made by spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the missile strike was executed using a domestically developed hypersonic ballistic missile, which successfully hit its intended target.
The armed forces declared that the attack caused a temporary halt in airport operations for nearly an hour and triggered widespread panic among millions of settlers, forcing them into shelters. The statement further noted that "Israel's" air defense systems failed to intercept the missile.
Simultaneously, the statement confirmed that the Yemeni Air Force launched an additional drone operation targeting a vital facility in occupied Yafa using a drone model named Yafa.
Blockade takes hold
The armed forces reiterated their earlier warning to all international airlines still operating flights to the occupied Palestinian territories, urging them to immediately comply with the airspace ban, as most other carriers have already done.
The statement reaffirmed that the Yemeni-imposed air and maritime blockade, targeting airports in occupied Palestine and restricting the movement of Israeli ships in the Red and Arabian Seas, will remain in effect until the aggression on Gaza is halted and the siege lifted.
The military campaign was underscored as an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people and their resistance, and a direct response to what the statement called "the genocidal crimes committed by the Zionist enemy in Gaza."
Sirens blare across Palestine
The Israeli military announced Friday that a missile had been launched from Yemen toward the occupied territories, triggering air raid sirens across a broad swath of territory, from occupied al-Quds and Tel Aviv to HaShfela, Gush Dan, and even al-Khalil.
As with previous incidents, operations at Ben Gurion Airport were suspended, according to The Times of Israel.
Footage circulating on social media captured scenes of chaos, as settlers fled beaches and rushed to bomb shelters amid rising panic in Tel Aviv and surrounding areas.
According to The Times of Israel, "The Friday attack came three days after the US announced that it had reached a ceasefire with the Yemeni terror group." Despite this ceasefire, the Yemeni Armed Forces have reiterated their commitment to continuing operations against "Israel."
Dozens of operations target 'Israel'
Since the renewed Israeli offensive on Gaza began on March 18, Yemen has reportedly launched around 28 ballistic missiles and dozens of drones toward Israeli targets. One such operation successfully struck Ben Gurion Airport.
Israeli defense systems failed to intercept the missile, reflecting the growing reach and precision of Yemen's long-range capabilities.
In an unprecedented move, the Yemeni Armed Forces declared their intent to impose a full aerial blockade on "Israel" by repeatedly targeting its airports, most notably Lod Airport, known under the occupation as Ben Gurion.