The Iran-backed Houthi rebels has once again targeted Israel. In the last 48 hours, this is their fourth attack on Israel. The latest attack was a ballistic missile that was fired from Yemen. The Missile landed near the main terminal of Ben Gurion International Airport, which is one of the most important airports of Israel and very close to the capital Tel Aviv. The Houthi attacked resulted in momentary suspension of flights. No fatalities have been reported as of this moment.
According to the Israeli military, several attempts were made to intercept. Unlike the previous three times, this time the interception was unsuccessful. The entire episode is currently under review. This is not the first time Houthis are targeting Israel. If you remember in December last year, Houthis launched a series of similar attacks.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called an urgent consultation of his security cabinet on Sunday. Shortly after the attack he posted this video from his X handle.
“We have acted in the past, we will act in the future,”
Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu
The Prime Minister also spoke of how the USA is targeting Houthis n coordination with Israel. Israel Defence Minister suggested that there would a asymmetrical response to the missile attack. This is what he said –
“Whoever harms us will be harmed by us sevenfold,”
Defence Minister, Israel Katz
Photo credit : Jack Guez/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
More than a year ago, the Houthi militia showed support for Hamas, the Iranian-backed organization in the Gaza Strip, by launching rockets at Israel. Attacks have increased since Israel broke a cease-fire in Gaza in the middle of March.
In a video statement, Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesperson, took credit for the attack on the airport and advised foreign planes to avoid Ben Gurion for their own safety. Hamas also came out in support of this attack. This attack came just hours after Israel stated that it is mobilizing thousands of reserved troops to bolster their operations in Gaza.
In a social media posting, Mr. Gantz declared, “This is Iran, not Yemen.” “Iran must take responsibility for the ballistic missiles it fired at the state of Israel. “The head of a moderate opposition party and former Israeli military chief Benny Gantz called on Mr. Netanyahu’s administration to “wake up” and take revenge on Iran.
This makes the already tension filled middle-east, an ideal plot for disaster. The USA government with President Trump is engaged in talks with Iran. Such attacks may derail the entire talks and may send the peace process by at least a decade. In the mean time, Air India has taken the decision to cease operations on the Tel Aviv route after the attack.
