Yemen declares air blockade against 'Israel' until Gaza genocide halts
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The Yemeni Armed Forces announced a full air blockade on "Israel", targeting Ben Gurion Airport in response to its escalating aggression in Gaza, according to spokesperson Yehya Saree.
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Two planes are parked at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, Occupied Palestine, Monday, September 2, 2024. (AP)
The Yemeni Armed Forces announced that it will enforce an air blockade on "Israel" in a statement published on Sunday, in their latest escalation against the Zionist entity in support of Gaza.
"In response to Israel's escalating aggression and expanded military operations in Gaza, the Yemeni Armed Forces have declared a full air blockade on Israel," YAF Spokesperson Brigadier General Yehya Saree said in a statement.
"The Yemeni Armed Forces will enforce the aerial blockade by repeatedly attacking airports, with Ben Gurion Airport, known as Lod Airport in Israel, as their primary target," he emphasized.
The statement called on all international airlines to take this threat seriously from the moment of its issuance and cancel all flights to Israeli airports to preserve the safety of their aircraft and passengers.
"The proud, free, and independent Yemen will not accept the continued violations that the enemy seeks to impose by targeting Arab nations like Lebanon and Syria. This nation [Yemen] does not fear confrontation and rejects submission and surrender," the statement added.
This comes amid a widespread cancellation of flights to "Israel" by major foreign airlines following the Yemeni ballistic missile that landed just 200 meters from the Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday.
Yemen continues to carry out operations against 'Israel'
Earlier in the day, the Yemeni Armed Forces launched a hypersonic ballistic missile targeting Ben Gurion airport in the occupied Palestinian territories, specifically aimed at Terminal 3.
Israeli media reported on Sunday that a Yemen-launched missile hit near Terminal 3 of Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, triggering visible smoke plumes, disrupting flights and nearby train traffic, and causing several injuries according to Magen David Adom emergency responders.
Saree stated that the missile bypassed both US and Israeli defense systems, sounding sirens across occupied Palestine and leading to the displacement of more than three million settlers.
Channel 12 reported that, according to the security establishment, neither the Arrow 3 nor the THAAD missile defense systems successfully intercepted the missile, raising alarm within the Israeli occupation over the safety of Ben Gurion Airport as concerns grow that airlines might suspend flights to the region.
A high-ranking Yemeni source told Al Mayadeen that despite the US deployment of dozens of satellites on Saada and other provinces, the United States has failed to neutralize the Yemeni Armed Forces' weapons, emphasizing that "No interception systems, regardless of their size or type, will be able to counter Yemen’s missiles."
Major airlines cancel flights to Tel Aviv
Several major international airlines, such as Lufthansa, Air France, Delta, and Wizz Air, suspended flights to Tel Aviv on Sunday after a Yemeni ballistic missile landed in the vicinity of Ben Gurion International Airport.
The Lufthansa Group, which includes SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines, suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport until May 6, canceling Sunday departures from Frankfurt, Vienna, Zurich, and Munich while arranging rebookings for affected passengers.
Air France canceled its Sunday flights to Tel Aviv, while TUS Airways suspended operations to and from Cyprus until May 5, while Air India halted all Tel Aviv routes until May 6, and British Airways extended cancellations until May 7.
United Airlines also suspended operations, pausing its bi-daily New York-Tel Aviv flights until at least May 8 as "it closely monitors the evolving security conditions," according to the Airline's official statement.
