Israel launches fresh strikes on Yemen’s Houthis after missile hits Ben Gurion Airport

Israel launched a new wave of airstrikes on Houthi targets in the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah on Monday, a day after the Iranian-backed rebels struck near Israel’s main airport in Tel Aviv. The attack on Ben Gurion International Airport on May 4 marked a significant escalation, as it was the first successful missile strike by the Houthis on the heavily fortified facility.

The missile, which hit an access road near the airport’s parking area, caused a large crater and lightly injured six people. The strike briefly halted flights and commuter traffic, prompting many international airlines to suspend services again. Although air traffic resumed within an hour, the attack raised fresh concerns about airport security and airspace safety.

Israeli officials confirmed that multiple attempts were made to intercept the incoming missile, but they were unsuccessful. The Houthis later claimed responsibility, saying they had fired a “hypersonic ballistic missile,” though Israeli military sources disputed this, stating that neither Iran nor the Houthis possess such technology. The rebels vowed to impose a “comprehensive air blockade” on Israel by repeatedly targeting airports, particularly Ben Gurion.

In response, the Israeli Air Force launched a retaliatory strike involving approximately 20 fighter jets, which dropped around 50 munitions on various Houthi targets. The strikes focused on the strategic Hodeidah port and a cement factory in the Bajil district, which Israeli officials said was used to build tunnels and other military infrastructure.

The Houthis reported that at least six strikes hit Hodeidah port, the second-largest port on the Red Sea and Yemen’s main entry point for food imports. Residents said over 10 strikes targeted the port and the surrounding al-Salakhanah and al-Hawak areas, with four more hitting the cement plant.

While the Houthis claimed the attacks were part of a joint Israeli-American operation, a US defence official clarified that American forces were not involved in the Israeli strikes and that they were unrelated to “Operation Rough Rider,” the US campaign targeting Houthi threats to international shipping in the Red Sea. However, US forces did separately conduct airstrikes on the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, on Monday.

Nasruddin Amer, head of the Houthi media office, said the Israeli raids would not deter the group’s operations. “The aggressive Zionist-American raids on civilian facilities will not affect our military operations against the Zionist enemy entity,” he declared, promising further escalation unless the war in Gaza ends.

Since the outbreak of the conflict, the Houthis have repeatedly fired projectiles at Israel in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Their continued assaults have bolstered their standing within Iran’s “Axis of Resistance,” as they remain one of the few members still actively targeting Israel.

The missile strike on Ben Gurion came as a blow to Israeli hopes that American military intervention alone would deter the Houthis. Over 1,000 US-led airstrikes have been conducted against the group since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025. Until now, Israel had refrained from sustained engagement, having last struck Houthi targets in January. That earlier operation, conducted jointly with US and British forces, targeted ports and a power station but failed to halt the rebel attacks.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said Monday’s strikes were necessary to disrupt the flow of Iranian arms into Yemen and to degrade the Houthis’ military capabilities. "The Bajil factory serves as an important economic resource for the Houthi terror regime," the IDF said. "The strikes constitute a blow to the regime’s economy and its military buildup."

Social media posts by Israel’s Defence Ministry showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir monitoring the operation from the IAF’s underground command centre in Tel Aviv. IAF chief Major General Tomer Bar was at a nearby post, leading the mission.

“The Houthi terrorist regime has been operating for the past year and a half under Iranian direction and funding in order to harm Israel and its allies, undermine the regional order, and disrupt global freedom of navigation,” the IDF stated. “The IDF is determined to continue to act and strike forcefully at anyone who poses a threat to the residents and citizens of the State of Israel, and at whatever distance is required.”

Netanyahu reinforced the message in a video: "We acted before, we will act in the future too. I can’t elaborate on all of that. The US, in coordination with us, is also operating against them. It’s not ‘one and done."