2025 Houthi attack on Tel Aviv airport

2025 Houthi attack on Tel Aviv airport
Part of the Red Sea crisis and the Middle Eastern crisis (2023–present)
Type	Ballistic missile attack
Location	Tel Aviv, Israel
Target	Ben Gurion Airport
Date	4 May 2025 c. 9:30 a.m. IST (UTC+3)
Executed by	Houthi movement
Casualties	8 injured

On 4 May 2025, the Houthi movement in Yemen fired a ballistic missile at Tel Aviv, Israel, hitting the perimeter of the main terminal of Ben Gurion Airport while leaving a crater and damaging a road and vehicle. The Israeli defense system failed to shoot down the missile, despite several attempts to intercept it. As a result, eight people were injured—two of whom were injured on their way to a shelter. The attack caused air traffic to stop and several major airlines to cancel their flights for a few days. The Israel Airports Authority said the attack was the first time a missile landed so close to Israel's main airport.

Attack

In the morning of 4 May, at around 9:30 a.m. IST, a Houthi hypersonic ballistic missile—which the Houthis claim to have stealth technology, a range of 2,150 kilometres (1,340 mi), and a speed sixteen times the speed of sound—was launched at Tel Aviv. Despite several Israeli attempts to intercept it using the advanced U.S.-made THAAD system and its Arrow defense system, it ultimately failed to shoot down the missile. The missile landed near the main terminal of Ben Gurion Airport, leaving a huge crater while damaging a road and a vehicle. Eight Israelis were injured. Footage showed drivers on a road pulling over as the missile landed, creating a plume of black smoke near the airport. The Israel Defense Forces blamed "a technical issue with the interceptor launched toward the missile" for the successful Houthi missile, although it stated that it found "no malfunction" in the detection procedure.

The attack resulted in the brief suspension of flights at the airport, with some having to be redirected. All entrances to the airport were closed temporarily while train journeys were stopped. Several major airlines announced they were canceling their flights for a few days, including British Airways, Lufthansa, Air Europa, Air France, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Ryanair, and Wizz Air.

Analysis

Military affairs analyst for Israel's Army Radio, Amir Bar Shalom, said the missile attack was "very accurate if you’re launching from 2,000 kilometers, it’s impressive," and that "you have to take this threat seriously."

Reactions

• Houthi movement: The Houthi movement claimed responsibility for the attack "in rejection" of Israel's "genocide in Gaza". Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said in a televised statement that Ben Gurion Airport was "no longer safe for air travel" and that "the American and Israeli defense systems failed to intercept the missile aimed" at the airport. Senior Houthi leader Muhammad al-Bahithi claimed that the hypersonic missile attack at the airport was "proof of our ability to strike fortified sites in Israel." Later, the Houthis said they will impose "a comprehensive aerial blockade" on Israel by repeatedly targeting its airports.
• Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to respond to the strike "at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters" and that "The US, in coordination with us, is also operating against them." Defense Minister Israel Katz also threatened "Whoever attacks us, we will hit back sevenfold," apparently referencing the Torah.
• United States: Following the attack, U.S. National Security Council James Hewitt said that the U.S. military will continue its attacks on the Houthis and that "the Trump administration remains committed to ending the Houthis’ capabilities to hijack freedom of navigation in the Red Sea." On the same day, U.S. forces struck an area south of Sanaa, al-Sawad, with three air attacks.
• Hamas: Hamas praised the attack, calling Yemen "the twin of Palestine, as it continues to defy the most brutal forces of oppression, refusing submission or defeat despite the aggression it faces."
• Southern Transitional Council: Summer Ahmed, the representative of the Yemeni separatist STC to the United Nations, called the attack a "blatant act of terrorism," which is "part of a broader pattern of Houthi aggression."
• Iran: In response to threats to hold Iran responsible for the actions of the Houthis, Iranian defense minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned that Iran will target the bases, interests, and forces of the United States and Israel if attacked.