Air traffic at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv was temporarily suspended Thursday after a ballistic missile, launched by the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF), targeted the Israeli airport in a bold retaliatory strike for ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza.

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) confirmed that its air defense systems responded to a missile launched from Yemen. Air raid sirens were activated across Tel Aviv and several other areas in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem (al-Quds), triggering widespread panic and forcing residents into shelters.

The missile attack caused a brief shutdown of all incoming and outgoing flights at Ben Gurion Airport. Israeli media reported a large explosion in central Israel, though official sources later claimed the missile had been intercepted before reaching its target.

In a televised statement, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, announced that a Zulfiqar ballistic missile had been launched as part of what he described as a "special military operation." According to Saree, the strike successfully disrupted operations at Ben Gurion Airport and caused "millions of settlers to flee into shelters."

He emphasized that the attack was a direct response to the “genocidal massacres” being committed in the Gaza Strip, reiterating Yemen’s commitment to standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people.

The incident marks a significant escalation in the regional dimensions of the conflict, as resistance factions across the region intensify their military responses to Israel's ongoing genocidal war on Gaza.

No casualties were officially reported, but the psychological impact of the strike was immediately felt, with video footage and reports highlighting scenes of chaos and fear among Israeli civilians. (ILKHA)