Yemen strikes Ben Gurion Airport with ballistic missile for Gaza
The Yemeni Armed Forces launched a Palestine-2 hypersonic missile at the Ben Gurion Airport in occupied Yafa, disrupting operations and vowing continued strikes against the Israeli occupation in solidarity with Gaza.
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People gather in a shelter after airstrike sirens sounded off in Ben Gurion Airport, near Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, early Friday, January 3, 2024. (AP)
Israeli media reported Tuesday evening that sirens sounded across large parts of the occupied Palestinian territories, including the Greater Tel Aviv area, following the launch of a rocket from Yemen toward Tel Aviv. The incident triggered a state of alert and led to the temporary closure of the Ben Gurion Airport.
According to Channel 12, over 139 locations were affected by the sirens, prompting widespread panic and the halting of airport operations as airspace was temporarily shut down.
Israeli media claimed the projectile was intercepted by the occupation's air defense systems before reaching its target. The Israeli occupation forces said that debris from the interception caused additional alerts in the northern part of the territory.
This marks the second rocket launched from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories in less than 24 hours, according to a statement by the Israeli occupation forces.
Yemen claims responsibility
The Yemeni Armed Forces announced on Tuesday that they carried out a “qualitative military operation” targeting the Ben Gurion Airport in occupied Yafa using a Palestine-2 hypersonic ballistic missile, in what they described as a direct response to the Israeli regime’s ongoing genocide against the people of Gaza.
According to the statement, the operation successfully hit its target, causing mass panic as millions of settlers fled to shelters, and the airport's operations were disrupted. The attack reportedly forced the cancellation of landings, including the blocking of a US military cargo plane from arriving for the second consecutive day.
The statement stressed that this operation was carried out in solidarity with the Palestinian people and their resistance, and as a direct condemnation of the atrocities being committed in the Gaza Strip.
'No one takes us seriously anymore'
Commenting on the incident, Israeli Democratic Party leader Yair Golan said, “Millions of Israelis are running to shelters because of a rocket fired from Yemen, while we remain stuck in the Gaza quagmire for 20 months. No one takes us seriously anymore.”
The attack comes amid ongoing operations by the Yemeni Armed Forces in solidarity with Gaza, as Sanaa continues to affirm that strikes against the Israeli occupation will persist as long as the aggression against Palestinians continues.
This comes after Yemeni Supreme Political Council chief Mahdi al-Mashat announced on Friday that all air and maritime routes used by Israeli forces to conduct attacks on Yemen are now designated as dangerous zones for civilian and commercial traffic, as Sanaa steps up its military response to the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza.
"For the safety of air and maritime navigation in the areas where our armed forces operate, we have issued directives to designate the routes used by the Zionist enemy to attack our country as dangerous zones for all companies," al-Mashat stated. He urged airlines and maritime operators to reroute, warning of impending military actions targeting the Israelis operating in these corridors.
The declaration comes days after Israeli warplanes struck Sanaa International Airport, prompting al-Mashat to directly warn Israeli settlers that their government could no longer protect them. "The government of filthy Netanyahu will not be able to protect you," he said, stressing that "bunkers will no longer be safe."
'Israel' comes under attack
Since the Israeli occupation resumed its large-scale assault on Gaza on March 18, Yemen's Ansar Allah movement has intensified its support for Palestinians by launching 44 ballistic missiles and at least 10 drones toward the occupied Palestinian territories.
While many of these projectiles have reportedly failed to reach their targets, the continued launches have exposed vulnerabilities in the Israeli security posture and forced repeated disruptions across vast areas.