Yemen’s Houthis say they are targeting Israeli airports

Yemen’s Houti rebels say they will impose an “integral” air blocking to Israel by repeatedly attacking their airports, in response to Israel expanding its operations in Gaza.

The hutis aligned in Iran attributed the responsibility of a missile strike that hit Ben Gurion airport in Israel, the last in a series of attacks, saying that they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to retaliate.

Most Yemen’s attacks have been intercepted by Israel’s antimile defense systems, although a drone blow hit Tel Aviv in 2024.

Sunday’s missile was the only one in a series launched since March that was not intercepted.

The Houthis Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center, an agency established in 2024 for links between the Huti forces and commercial shipping operators, issued the warning about attacking Israeli airports, saying that Ben Gurion airport would be the main objective.

The statement attached an email that said was sent to the International Association of Air Transport, the Global Airlines Agency and the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization.

Houthi’s forces asked “all international airlines to take this announcement in serious consideration … and cancel all their flights to the airports of the Israeli criminal enemy, to safeguard the security of their planes and passengers,” said the email.

Israel’s security cabinet approved the plans for an expanded operation in the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported on Friday, which adds to the signs that try to stop combat hostages and return to the Palestinian militant group Hamas have not progressed.

Since the collapse of a high -fire agreement in March, Israeli troops have been carving wide cushioned areas in Gaza, squeezing the population of 2.3 million in an increasingly narrow area in the center of the enclave already throughout the coast and closing the entrance of help trucks.

Help groups have warned that the Israeli block risks a humanitarian disaster.

Israel’s campaign in Gaza has wasted much of the enclave and so far killed more than 52,000 people, according to Gaza officials, since the attack of October 7, 2023 by Hamas in southern Israel.

That Hamas offensive killed 1200 people and led 251 people to be rehénes.