Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed to retaliate against Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels after a missile struck near Israel’s main international airport.
“We have acted against them in the past and we will act in the future, but I cannot go into detail (…) it will not happen in one bang, but there will be many bangs,” Netanyahu said in a video posted on Telegram, AFP reports.
Earlier on Sunday, a missile fired by Huthi rebels hit close to Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, injuring six people and briefly stopping all flights.
The missile landed near the parking area of Terminal 3, creating a large crater less than a kilometre from the runway. No damage was reported to the terminal or runways.
The Israeli army said it tried to intercept the missile, but it’s unclear if the damage was from the missile or a defence system.
The Huthis said they launched a hypersonic missile to show support for Palestinians in Gaza.
Air India flight diverted
Following the missile strike near Tel Aviv on Sunday, an Air India flight from Delhi to the Israeli city was diverted to Abu Dhabi as a precaution.
Flight AI139, operated by a Boeing 787, was nearing its destination when the missile hit close to Ben Gurion Airport—about an hour before the plane’s scheduled landing.
Furthermore, Lufthansa Airlines announced the suspension of all Tel Aviv flights till May 6 after the airport attack.