The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) fired a hypersonic ballistic missile at Ben Gurion airport in the occupied Palestinian territories, targeting the area of Terminal 3, according to an announcement by the YAF’s spokesperson, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, on Sunday.
Saree revealed that the US and Zionist interception systems failed to intercept the missile and forced more than three million settlers to flee.
The statement released after the attack reads:
In support of the oppressed Palestinian people and their fighters, and in rejection of the crime of genocide being carried out by the zionist enemy against our brothers in the Gaza Strip,
the missile force of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a military operation targeting “Ben Gurion” Airport in the occupied Yaffa area using a hypersonic ballistic missile, which successfully hit its target by the grace of Allah.The outcomes of the operation were as follows:
– The failure of American and “israeli” interception systems to stop the missile.
– The flight of more than three million zionists into shelters.
– Complete suspension of airport operations for more than an hour.Accordingly, the Yemeni Armed Forces renew their warning to all international airlines to halt their flights to “Ben Gurion” Airport, as it is no longer safe for air navigation.
Earlier yesterday evening, the unmanned aerial unit also carried out a military operation targeting a vital site belonging to the “israeli” enemy in the occupied Asqalan area using a drone of the Yaffa type.
Yemen — its people, leadership, and army — will, with Allah’s help, continue to stand firm and steadfast in the face of American aggression, never abandoning its religious, moral, and humanitarian duty toward the oppressed Palestinian people, regardless of the consequences, until the aggression on Gaza ceases and the siege is lifted.
Additionally, air traffic at Ben Gurion Airport was suspended minutes after resuming, along with a halt to train services in the area.
The flight cancellation wave expanded, with Switzerland and Austria set to cancel flights to the occupation entity and the Spanish airline Air Europa officially cancelling flights.
YAF fire missile at Ben Gurion
Zionist media reported on Sunday that a missile fired from Yemen struck the area of Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, causing plumes of smoke to rise and leading to the suspension of both flight and train operations in the vicinity. According to the Magen David Adom emergency service, several individuals were injured in the incident.
Following the missile launch from Yemen, air raid sirens sounded across the central region of the occupied territories. Notably, occupation media sources confirmed that interceptor missiles failed to intercept the projectile.
Channel 12 reported that the security establishment believes both the Arrow 3 and THAAD missile defense systems failed to stop the missile. The failure has sparked concerns within the occupation about the security of Ben Gurion Airport, as fears mount that airlines may reconsider flights to the area.
In response, occupation police urged the public to avoid the airport, and one outlet described the incident as “the most dangerous operation since the beginning of the war,” calling for a strong response.
The Zionist newspaper Maariv labeled the missile strike on Ben Gurion Airport “dramatic on a global scale.” Meanwhile, the official Sanaa-based newspaper al-Thawra cited a source in the Yemeni Ministry of Defense stating that “the military units accompanying the US aircraft carrier Truman have arrived at the Suez Canal on their way out of the Red Sea.”
The source added that this marks the failure of the US mission to halt Yemeni operations in support of the Palestinian people, asserting that Truman’s departure symbolizes the collapse of US-UK aggression objectives.
Yemen’s escalation in support of Gaza
The missile strike on Ben Gurion Airport represents a major shift in the confrontation between Yemen and the occupation.
It also highlights the ongoing campaign of Yemeni solidarity with Gaza amid continued Zionist aggression and the targeting of vessels linked to the occupation in the Red and Arabian Seas.
As the war expands on multiple fronts, the missile from Yemen that hit Ben Gurion Airport marks both a strategic and symbolic escalation, drawing international attention and underscoring the regional impact of the war.
Ansarallah declares full air blockade on the occupation
The Yemeni Armed Forces announced will enforce an air blockade on the occupation in a statement published on Sunday, in their latest escalation against the Zionist entity in support of Gaza.
“In response to ‘Israels’ escalating aggression and expanded military operations in Gaza, the Yemeni Armed Forces have declared a full air blockade on Israel,” The YAF Spokesperson Brigadier General Yehya Saree said in the statement.
“The YAF will enforce this by repeatedly attacking airports, with Ben Gurion Airport, known as Lod Airport in ‘Israel,’ as their primary target,” he emphasized.
The statement calls on all international airlines to consider this announcement from the moment of its issuance and publication, canceling all flights to the criminal enemy’s airports to ensure the safety of their aircraft and passengers.
“The proud, free, and independent Yemen will not accept the continued violations that the enemy seeks to impose by targeting Arab nations like Lebanon and Syria. It affirms that this nation will not fear confrontation and will reject submission and surrender,” the statement added.
This comes amid a widespread cancellation of flights to the occupation by major foreign airlines following the Yemeni ballistic missile that landed just 200 meters from the Ben Gurion airport on Sunday.
The Yemeni President, Mahdi Al-Mashat, tied these actions in with the larger imperialist actions of the Americans:
By the grace of Allah Almighty, we succeeded in thwarting the first phase of the aggression on Yemen.
The information of the American army is exposed to our Yemeni army, and they are unable to prevent this exposure; this is what we know and trust.
Striking the USS Truman aircraft carrier with high precision this week and downing an F-18 from it is clear evidence and a witness to the truth of what we say.
We warned the Americans indirectly about troubling steps, but they did not heed; because they do not care about the lives of the zionists, they ignored our warning, mistakenly thinking their systems would prevent our actions.
The zionist occupiers must never trust the Netanyahu and Trump administrations.
We will not stop our strikes on occupied lands except by stopping the aggression and lifting the siege on Gaza.
We will resort to other escalation options if the zionist aggression on Gaza continues.
The zionists still have the ability to return to their homelands and leave Palestine before they are unable to do so anymore.
Major airlines cancel flights to Tel Aviv
Several major international airlines, such as Lufthansa, Air France, Delta, and Wizz Air, suspended flights to Tel Aviv on Sunday after a Yemen-launched ballistic missile landed in the vicinity of Ben Gurion International Airport.
The Lufthansa Group, which includes SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines, suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport through May 6, canceling Sunday departures from Frankfurt, Vienna, Zurich, and Munich while arranging rebookings for affected passengers.
Air France canceled its Sunday flights to Tel Aviv while TUS Airways suspended operations to and from Cyprus through May 5, as Air India halted all Tel Aviv routes until May 6, and British Airways extended cancellations through May 7.
United Airlines also suspended operations, pausing its twice-daily New York-Tel Aviv flights until at least May 8 as it closely monitors the evolving security conditions, stating, “We are assessing the situation and will prioritize the safety of our passengers and crew when determining future flight resumptions,” in an official announcement.
Palestinian Resistance factions applaud Yemen
The PFLP’s Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades spokesman Abu Jamal stated in full:
We salute the exceptional Yemeni strike that targeted the zionist “Ben Gurion” Airport.Dear Yemen once again proves its commitment to the causes of the nation, foremost among them the Palestinian cause.
Today, Yemen sends a message of iron and fire to the zionist enemy in support and backing of our steadfast Palestinian people and their resistance, and as part of the response against the crimes of the occupation against our people.
The Yemeni strike proves the failure of the occupation’s security systems and those of its regional affiliates, and writes a page of honor for Yemen in the annals of history—amid Arab and international official cowardice regarding what is happening to our people.”
Despite the scale of the attacks the Yemeni people are facing—be it American, British, or zionist bombardment—the Yemeni strike proves to the world, and especially to our Arab nation, that we have no choice but resistance and steadfastness.
Salute to Yemen—its people, leadership, and resistance—from the heart of the battlefields of confrontation, bravery, and struggle. Long live the resistance, shame and disgrace to the traitors and the cowardly, and surely we shall be victorious.
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command affirmed that the strike caused widespread destruction, disrupted air traffic, and created a state of panic, in light of zionist-American efforts to stop these strikes. They noted that the continuation of operations, their precision, and Yemeni defense all embody Yemeni steadfastness, which has borne its fruit. They continued that the strike demonstrates “America’s impotence and inability to achieve its aggressive goals, forcing it to drag the tails of defeat in retreat with its aircraft carriers, which are being rained upon by Yemeni drones and missiles with their fiery lava.” They also called on the people of the Ummah to stand united against zionist-American colonial projects, which requires urgent action modeled after Yemen.
The Popular Resistance Committees congratulated the “Yemeni missile strikes that have come to pound the dens of the invading Zionist occupiers morning and evening.” They noted that the operations disturb the sleep of settlers and dispel their illusion of false security marketed by Netanyahu. They also that escalating Yemeni strikes confirm the failure of the aggression against Yemen and prove Yemen’s support for Palestine. “Yemeni courage and creativity are establishing a phase characterized by the impotence of the Zionist entity and the American enemy in facing the military development of Yemeni military industries, which have proven the failure of Zionist-American defense systems against Yemen’s blessed missiles.”