The Houthis claimed Sunday's missile strike on Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport, outside of Tel Aviv.

Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service reported that at least eight people were injured as a result of the missile, which was fired from Yemen.

Houthis claim missile 'successfully hit its target'

Houthi military spokesman Yehya Saree said in a statement that the Iran-backed group fired a ballistic missile at the airport, claiming that it "successfully hit its target."

The airport temporarily halted takeoffs and landings following the attack. German national carrier Lufthansa said it was suspending flights to Tel Aviv until May 6.

Saree vowed continued Houthi attacks in support of Palestinians "whatever the consequences" until the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas comes to an end.

Warning systems activated before impact

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said warning systems had been activated in several parts of the country and "several interception attempts were made against a missile launched from Yemen."

"A fall was detected in the Ben-Gurion Airport area, the incident is being investigated," the IDF said.

Airport authorities said the missile landed beside a road near a terminal 3 parking lot. A senior Israeli police commander, Yair Hetzroni, showed reporters a crater caused by the impact of the missile.

"You can see the scene right behind us here, a hole that opened up with a diameter of tens of meters and also tens of meters deep," the Reuters news agency quoted Hetzroni as saying. He added that there was no significant damage.

Israel vows severe response

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the incident by blaming the Houthis' main backer, Iran.

"Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters," he posted on his X account.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, too, vowed severe consequences following the airport attack: "Whoever harms us, we will harm them sevenfold."

In Israel, local media reported that Netanyahu would convene a meeting with the security Cabinet to discuss a possible expansion of military operations in Gaza, with call-up orders issued for tens of thousands of reserve troops.

The Houthis have launched numerous attacks on Israel since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a 2023 Hamas-led terror attack killed nearly 1,200 people in Israel, with more than 250 others taken hostage.

Since the start of the war, Israel's offensive has killed more than 52,500 Palestinians in Gaza, many of them women and children, according to Palestinian health officials.

Edited by: Rana Taha