Yemen's Houthis announce "comprehensive air blockade" against Israel

SANAA/JERUSALEM, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group said Sunday that it will continue launching missile attacks at airports in Israel, especially at Ben Gurion Airport, as part of its "comprehensive air blockade" against the country.

"We announce a comprehensive air blockade on the Israeli enemy in response to its decision to expand its aggression against Gaza," Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by the group's al-Masirah TV.

"We will work to impose the blockade by repeatedly targeting airports, most notably Ben Gurion Airport," he said, urging international airlines to cancel all their flights planned to any Israeli airport.

Earlier on Sunday, the Houthi group claimed responsibility for a missile attack that hit a driveway leading to the main terminal of Ben Gurion Airport in central Israel in the morning, which resulted in four minor injuries and caused damage.

The Israeli military said aerial defense systems attempted to intercept the missile but failed. It later issued a separate statement, saying an initial inquiry showed that the likely cause of the failure was "a technical issue" with the interceptor missile.

Following the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video statement issued a warning to the Houthis, threatening to launch a strike against the group. He then wrote on social media platform X that Israel will retaliate against Houthis in Yemen and their ally, Iran.

Several international airlines, including Air Europa, Swiss International Air Lines, Lufthansa, ITA Airways, and Brussels Airlines, canceled flights to and from Israel after the attack.

The Houthis have intensified missile and drone launches toward Israel in recent weeks, amid renewed U.S. airstrikes on their positions in Yemen.

The Houthi forces, who control much of northern Yemen, have been targeting Israel since November 2023 in what they describe as an act of solidarity with Palestinians amid the war in Gaza. The group has claimed that it would halt its attacks if Israel ends its military campaign and blockade against Gaza. ■