The attack temporarily halted air traffic at Israel’s busiest airport and triggered sirens across the country.
A ballistic missile launched from Yemen has hit the perimeter of Israel’s Ben Gurion airport, damaging road structures and a vehicle and causing air traffic to stop, according to mphotos and footage verified by Al Jazeera.
The Israeli military confirmed on Sunday morning that its defence system failed to shoot down the projectile despite several attempts to intercept it, adding that an investigation was under way.
Flight were suspended at Israel’s busiest airport, all entrances to the airport were briefly closed, and train movements leading to the airport were suspended. Some flights had to be redirected.
Sirens blared across central Israel, and millions moved to shelters, according to Israeli media.
Three people were lightly injured, according to paramedics.
Videos of the site of the impact circulating online showed that the missile hit a connecting road inside the perimeter of the airport, with some debris scattered on adjacent roads.
The Houthis did not immediately comment on the attack, but they have continued to launch ballistic missiles and drones at Israeli cities in stated opposition to the war on Gaza and the Israeli blockade on all humanitarian aid entering the besieged enclave.
More than 50 Palestinians have been starved to death due to the ongoing Israeli blockade since March 2.
The attacks by the Yemeni group are continuing despite daily bombardment of areas across Yemen by the United States and the United Kingdom military. Houthi-run media reported many more US air raids on Yemen in the early hours of Sunday.
US warplanes launched 10 raids on the al-Hazm district of the al-Jawf governorate, and three attacks on the Marib governorate, Al Masirah TV reported.
It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties, as with some of the other US strikes this week, including one on a migrant detention centre that left dozens dead.
Benny Gantz, leader of the Israel Resilience party, said the blame for the missile attacks should be put on Iran.
“It is Iran that is firing ballistic missiles at the state of Israel, and it must bear responsibility,” he said in a post on X. “The shooting at the state of Israel is bound to lead to a severe reaction in Tehran.”
Yair Golan, a leading opposition figure, said millions of Israelis are in shelters again, Israeli captives held in Gaza are dying, the cost of living is crushing families, and reservists are “collapsing under the burden” of the war.
“This is big for Netanyahu, this is big for the government,” he said about the prime minister. “We must return the kidnapped people home and end the war.”