ISRAEL VOWS TO RETALIATE AFTER HOUTHI MISSILE STRIKES AIRPORT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to retaliate against the Houthis after a missile fired by the group struck the grounds of Israel’s main airport. In a video posted on social media, Netanyahu threatened strikes against the group, saying, “We attacked in the past, we will attack in the future.” The missile, fired from Yemen by the Iran-backed group, landed near the main terminal of Ben Gurion airport on Sunday morning, Israeli authorities said. Four people were injured by the blast, with another two injured on their way to a shelter. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement that the Israeli airport was “no longer safe for air travel.” Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, said, “Anyone who hits us, we will hit them seven times stronger.” Netanyahu added that “attacks by the Houthis emanate from Iran,” and Israel would respond to the Houthi attack “at a time and place of our choosing” to Iran. The airport has now reopened to flights, after temporarily halting them, though several major airlines cancelled Sunday’s flights to and from the airport. Senior Israeli police commander Yair Hetzroni showed journalists a crater caused by the impact of the missile, saying, “You can see the scene right behind us here, a hole that opened up with a diameter of tens of metres and also tens of metres deep.” Netanyahu is set to meet ministers and defence officials on Sunday to discuss a response. The Houthis have regularly launched missile attacks at Israel in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza, but it is rare for one to make it through Israel’s sophisticated air defences. The group has also been carrying out attacks on ships in the Red Sea, which the US has responded to by leading a bombing campaign against it.