Tel Aviv — In a dramatic escalation of the regional spillover from the Genocide in Gaza, Yemen’s Armed Forces claimed they fired a hypersonic missile at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, reportedly halting air traffic and plunging large sections of Tel Aviv into a state of high alert.
The announcement came late Monday from Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman for the Yemeni military, who asserted the missile—named “Palestine-2″—was launched in retaliation for Israel’s continued aggression in Gaza and in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance. According to Saree, the missile struck its target with precision, disrupting operations at Israel’s most critical civilian air hub and forcing mass evacuations into shelters across central Israel.
Israeli authorities have yet to confirm whether the airport suffered any physical damage or whether a missile actually landed within its perimeter. However, local sources reported temporary flight delays and visible deployments of Iron Dome batteries across the skies above Tel Aviv. No casualties or injuries have been reported so far.
The missile’s classification as “hypersonic” has raised eyebrows among defense analysts. While Yemen’s Armed Forces have previously demonstrated capability with long-range ballistic and cruise missiles—often with Iranian support—the specific designation of “hypersonic” typically refers to projectiles traveling at speeds exceeding Mach 5 with advanced maneuverability, a technology that remains out of reach for most militaries in the region.
Still, regardless of the technical semantics, the psychological impact of such a strike is unmistakable. Yemen’s message was clear: it intends to bring the war home to Israel, far beyond Gaza’s borders.
The strike marked one of the boldest cross-border actions in recent memory by the Ansarullah-led Yemeni military, reaffirming their stated position of active engagement against Israel until its blockade of Gaza ends. The Houthis have previously targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea and launched missile attacks on Israel’s southern territories. Monday’s announcement, however, signaled a step-change in ambition and threat projection.
International reaction has remained muted, with Western media offering limited coverage and Israeli officials refusing to acknowledge the strike’s effectiveness. Nonetheless, social media users in Tel Aviv shared footage of sirens wailing, intercepted missiles illuminating the night sky, and panicked civilians sheltering in underground garages and stairwells.
The Israeli military has not issued a detailed response but has ramped up aerial operations over both Gaza and southern Lebanon in the past 48 hours. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a brief press conference earlier Tuesday, warned of “unrelenting retaliation against those who endanger Israeli civilians,” while stopping short of naming Yemen directly.
The move coincides with growing unrest across the region, as Iranian-allied groups in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon continue to coordinate military pressure on Israel. Analysts say this strike may be a preview of a larger, more integrated campaign of pressure orchestrated by the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” now leveraging multi-theater offensives to test Israel’s overstretched defense networks.
The international community, meanwhile, remains largely paralyzed—more focused on ceasefire negotiations in Cairo than on the intensifying regional theater that has now engulfed one of Israel’s most secure zones.
According to Mehr News Agency, the Yemen Armed Forces declared that the missile “hit its target with high precision,” and emphasized that operations will continue until “the aggression and siege against Gaza are completely lifted.”
According to Anadolu, Yemen’s Houthi movement announced that it launched a hypersonic ballistic missile of the “Palestine‑2” type at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, claiming a “successful strike” that triggered mass panic and halted airport operations, although Israeli forces reportedly intercepted the projectile before it could inflict damage. The statement, delivered by military spokesperson Yahya Saree, emphasized that the missile forced settlers into shelters and temporarily suspended flights, framing the operation as yet another blow in solidarity with Palestinians amid ongoing Israeli aggression.
