Houthi Group Threatens Israel Main Airport Air Blockade After Missile Attack

JAKARTA - The Houthi rebel group on Monday blamed the US for a new attack on Yemen, after the Iran-backed group announced it would impose a "complete air blockade" against Israel by repeatedly attacking its airports.

Iran-backed Yemen's Yemen's Houthis claimed responsibility for missile attacks near Israel's Ben Gurion Airport. The rebels said they acted as a form of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

At least eight people were injured in an attack near the airport, prompting several airlines to cancel flights over the next few days.

Most of the attacks from Yemen have been intercepted by Israeli missile defense systems, although a drone strike hit Tel Aviv last year.

Sunday's missiles are the only of a series of projectiles launched since March that have not been intercepted.

The Israeli military concluded an assessment and blamed technical problems on interceptors launching toward the missile.

The Houthis said they would "work to impose a comprehensive air blockade on Israeli enemies by repeatedly targeting airports", particularly its main airport, in southeastern Tel Aviv, reported The National May 5.

The Houthis "condemned all international airlines to consider the contents of this statement since it was announced and published, canceling all scheduled flights", the statement added.

On Monday, Houthi-run Saba News Agency said there had been attacks on and around the capital Sanaa, blaming it on the " United States aggression". The Ministry of Health said 14 people were injured, according to Saba. There was no comment from the US.

The attack came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to respond to the Houthis, as well as their supporters from Iran.

In a video published on Telegram PM Netanyahu said Israel had "acted against" Iran-backed rebels in the past and "will act in the future".

"It won't happen in one explosion, but there will be a lot of explosions," he added, without elaborating.

Then in X, PM Netanyahu said Israel would also respond to Iran in "the time and place we chose".

The Houthis are known to have launched missiles into Israel since the start of the Gaza war, saying it was a form of solidarity with Palestine. Sunday's attack came hours before a meeting of Israel's security cabinet, which approved the expansion of the war in the enclave.