The Yemeni Armed Forces announced 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," The YAF Spokesperson Brigadier General Yehya Saree said in the statement.

"The YAF will enforce this by repeatedly attacking airports, with Ben Gurion Airport, known as Lod Airport in Israel, as their primary target," he emphasized.

The statement calls on all international airlines to consider this announcement from the moment of its issuance and publication, canceling all flights to the criminal enemy's airports to ensure 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. It affirms that this nation will not fear confrontation and will reject 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'

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Foreign airlines halt Tel Aviv flights after Yemeni missile strike

YAF targeted Ben Gurion with hypersonic ballistic missile: Saree

The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) launched a hypersonic ballistic missile targeting Ben Gurion airport in the occupied Palestinian territories, specifically aimed at Terminal 3, as confirmed in a Sunday statement by the YAF's spokesperson, Brigadier General Yahya Saree.

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 the interception efforts of both US and Israeli defense systems, 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 Yemen-launched 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 through 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 through May 5, as Air India halted all Tel Aviv routes until May 6, and British Airways extended cancellations through May 7.

United Airlines also suspended operations, pausing its twice-daily New York-Tel Aviv flights until at least May 8 as it closely monitors the evolving security conditions, stating, "We are assessing the situation and will prioritize the safety of our passengers and crew when determining future flight resumptions," in an official announcement.