On Monday, Houthi militants, backed by Iran, issued a threat to enforce a total air blockade against Israel. This follows their successful missile attack near Ben Gurion Airport in Israel on Sunday.
“In response to Israel’s decision to intensify its military actions in the Gaza Strip, our military is set to create a complete air blockade targeting Israeli adversaries through a series of strikes within Israel,” they stated on Monday.
Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s main international gateway, has been known by that name since its inception in 1948 and was renamed in 1973 to honor Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben Gurion. It is situated near the historic city of Lod, approximately ten miles from Tel Aviv.
On Sunday, a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis penetrated Israel’s air defenses and struck a tree close to Ben Gurion Airport. The explosion caused minor injuries and some damage to the access road leading to Terminal 3.
This missile managed to evade both Israeli and U.S. missile defense systems, marking it as the first Houthi missile to hit near Ben Gurion.
Just hours before the attack, Israeli security ministers held a meeting that approved escalating military operations in Gaza, as indicated in the Houthi statement.
According to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday, the issues surrounding air defense were attributed to “technical errors,” not human mistakes or advancements in Houthi technology. Some in Israel, particularly opposition leader and former IDF chief Benny Gantz, raised concerns that Iran may have improved the missile technology and led infiltrations into Israeli defenses.
The threats made by the Houthis imply that the successful missile launch could potentially disrupt Israeli airspace enough to necessitate a total closure of the airport. Several international airlines, including Lufthansa from Germany and Delta and United from the U.S., chose to cancel flights to Ben Gurion on Sunday. However, the airport resumed operations after a brief halt, with most foreign airlines intending to return by Tuesday or Wednesday.
Airlines were advised by officials to be cautious and consider suspending operations to what they termed “enemy airports” for the safety of passengers and aircraft.
Igal Hapsa, Chief of the Israeli Police Central District, remarked on the incident, indicating it was fortunate that the missile strike didn’t result in more severe consequences.
“There were explosives near the airport, thankfully landing in an orchard instead of a more populated area,” Hapsa noted.
The Israeli security cabinet voted to respond to the Houthi attack with continued military initiatives. Israeli Defense Minister Katz asserted, “Anyone who harms us will be struck back sevenfold.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized, “This isn’t an isolated incident; we’ve faced substantial threats.”
