TEL AVIV: A missile landed inside the perimeter of Israel鈥檚 main airport on Sunday, wounding six people, halting flights and gouging a wide crater, in an attack claimed by Yemen鈥檚 Iran-backed Houthi militants.
The Israeli military said 鈥渟everal attempts were made to intercept鈥� the missile that was launched from Yemen, a rare Houthi attack that penetrated Israel鈥檚 air defenses.
A video issued by Israel鈥檚 police force showed officers standing on the edge of a deep crater with the control tower visible in the distance behind them. No damage was reported to airport buildings or runways.
The police reported a 鈥渕issile impact鈥� at Ben Gurion airport, Israel鈥檚 main international gateway.
An AFP photographer said the missile hit near the parking lots of Terminal 3, the airport鈥檚 largest, with the crater less than a kilometer (0.6 miles) away from the closest tarmac.
鈥淵ou can see the area just behind us: a crater was formed here, several dozen meters (yards) wide and several dozen meters deep,鈥� central Israel鈥檚 police chief, Yair Hezroni, said in the video shared by the force.
It was not immediately clear whether the impact was caused by the Yemeni missile or by an interceptor.
The attack was claimed by Yemen鈥檚 Houthis, who say they act in support for Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza.
鈥淭he missile force of the Yemeni armed forces carried out a military operation targeting Ben Gurion airport鈥� with a 鈥渉ypersonic ballistic missile,鈥� the Houthis said in a statement, referring to their own forces.
Israel鈥檚 Magen David Adom emergency service said it had treated at least six people with light to moderate injuries.
An AFP journalist inside the airport at the time of the attack said he heard a 鈥渓oud bang鈥� at around 9:35 am (0635 GMT), adding the 鈥渞everberation was very strong.鈥�
鈥淪ecurity staff immediately asked hundreds of passengers to take shelter, some in bunkers,鈥� the AFP journalist said.
鈥淢any passengers are now waiting for their flights to take off, and others are trying to find alternative flights.鈥�
An incoming Air India flight was diverted to Abu Dhabi, an airport official told AFP.
A passenger said the attack, which came shortly after air raid sirens sounded across parts of the country, caused panic.
鈥淚t is crazy to say but since October 7 we are used to this,鈥� said the passenger, who did not want to be named, referring to the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.
鈥淎 missile might come at any time and life stops for some time. Today at the airport there was panic and even I was scared, because the blast was big.鈥�

Israel鈥檚 airport authority said that 鈥渄epartures and arrivals have resumed鈥� at Ben Gurion, a short while after they had been interrupted due to the missile fire.
The airport 鈥渋s open and operational,鈥� the aviation authority said in a statement.
Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened a forceful response, saying: 鈥淎nyone who hits us, we will hit them seven times stronger.鈥�

The armed wing of Palestinian Islamist group Hamas praised the missile attack on Israel's airport that was claimed by the Houthis.

鈥淵emen... escalates its attacks on the heart of the illegitimate Zionist entity, surpassing the most advanced defense systems in the world and striking its targets with precision,鈥� Abu Obeida, spokesman for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement.