Israel To retaliate Against Houthi Missile Strike On Airport, Cabinet Decides
Israel is set to retaliate to the Houthi missile launch at Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday (4th), following a decision made at the security cabinet later in the day.
Following the Houthi missile strike, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video that Israel has acted against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen in the past and will act again in the future.
On Sunday (4th), an Israeli source told The Jerusalem Post that following this recent Houthi attack, Israel is considering revising its recent policy toward Yemen to respond directly to such attacks.
Since US President Donald Trump took office, Partly due to his request, Israel has refrained from striking targets in Yemen since the Houthis resumed their attacks.
During the Biden administration, Israel struck Houthi targets in Yemen five times since July 2024.
Prime Minister Netanyahu will convene a meeting to discuss the response to the missile fire from Yemen, with a limited number of ministers and senior defense officials in attendance.
Defense officials told The Jerusalem Post that there will be a response to the Houthis, but it is too early to say when it will occur.
There was a temporary shift in policy, giving Trump the opportunity to address the Houthi problem without Israeli involvement, but now that Ben Gurion Airport was attacked, this policy is being reconsidered.
After the most recent attack at Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning (4th), Defense Minister Israel Katz said, “Whoever harms us will be struck sevenfold in return.”
Three people were slightly wounded on Sunday (4th) as a result of a Houthi missile that crashed in the area of Ben-Gurion Airport’s Terminal 3.
Sources in the IDF said that they don’t know whether it was a direct crash from the missile or whether it was fragments from the missile that crashed in the area. Army Radio noted that the missile was not intercepted, however several attempts were made to intercept it.
Houthis Threaten: ‘We Will Impose An Aerial Blockade On Israel’
The Houthi military spokesperson in Yemen, Yahya Saree, threatened on Sunday evening (4th) to impose a comprehensive aerial blockade on Israel,” following the group’s launch of a missile that struck Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning (4th).
He warned the move will be carried out “through repeated strikes on airports, primarily Ben Gurion Airport.”
Additionally, he called on international airlines to cease flying to Israel.
Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared remarks made by U S President Donald Trump about a month and a half ago regarding the need to exact a price from the Houthis, emphasizing that Israel will strike not only the Houthis but also their backers in Iran.
“President Trump is absolutely right ! Attacks by the Houthis emanate from Iran. Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror master,” Netanyahu wrote.
The Israel Air Force’s inquiry into its failure to intercept the missile which landed near Ben Gurion Airport found that the source of the failure was a technical error in the interceptor missile, and not in the Arrow system battery, Kan 11 News reported.
The inquiry found that the first interceptor did not operate as expected due to a technical error, and the second interceptor, which was launched by the American THAAD system, missed the target.
Iran Unveils New Missile After Netanyahu Vows Response To Houthi Strike – Report
Iran unveiled what it said was a new ballistic missile on Sunday (4th) following threats by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to respond to the Houthi missile strike and their “Iranian terror masters.”
Iranian state television reported that the missile, named Qassem Basiar, has a range exceeding 1,200 kilometers. The unveiling comes as part of what Tehran described as its latest defensive accomplishments.
Defense Minister Aziz Kasirzadeh said, “The Qassem Basiar missile is resistant to electronic warfare and can bypass anti-ballistic missile systems.”
“It does not use GPS, has high maneuverability, and delivers precise strikes,” he added.
“If we are attacked and war is imposed on us, we will respond forcefully and strike the enemies bases and interests,” Nasirzadeh threatened, adding, “We have no hostility toward neighboring countries, but American bases are targets for us if we are attacked.”
His comments were broadcast by the Iranian channel Al-Nashara.
The IDF’s failure to shoot down the Houthi missile that struck the Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning (4th) was due to a technical error, IDF sources told news media.
Further, this means that the error was not due to human error nor to any special new weapons which the Houthis might claim to have acquired.
The military said that since the beginning of the war, the Israel Air Force intercepted dozens of Houthi missiles at a success rate that exceeds 95%.
Chief Of Staff: ‘We will destroy Everything, Above Ground and Below’ In Gaza
Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited the Shayetet 13 naval commando special forces unit on Sunday morning (4th), accompanied by Vice-Admiral David Saar Salama.
During the visit, the Chief of Staff was presented with a briefing on the operations and capabilities that the unit utilized during the war, and he spoke with the unit’s soldiers about their actions in the various sectors and expressed his appreciation for their efforts.
Zamir referred to the expected expansion of fighting in Gaza and said, “This week we are issuing tens of thousands of orders to our reservists in order to enhance and expand our operation in Gaza. We are increasing pressure in order to bring back the hostages and defeat Hamas. We will operate in additional areas and destroy all infrastructure above and below ground.
“You, soldiers of the flotilla, are a unique unit that has operated throughout the war with distinction and brought significant achievements with your special capabilities. We will continue to strengthen the naval dimension-special operations at sea and from the sea, as part of the strategic capabilities of the IDF and the State of Israel. We have great appreciation for all our reservists, the combination of all forces together – regular, career, reserves, frontline troops, and the Home Front Command – we need them all to fulfill our missions,” he added.
Hamas To Execute Looters In Gaza, Accuses Them Of Working With Israel
Hamas’ “Arrow” unit (“Wahdat Sahm”) pledged to carry out on-site executions of three Gazans accused of collaborating with Israelis by “slitting their throats,” in a statement circulating online. The unit added that images of the executions “will be broadcast to the public in audio and video,” also claiming that the limbs of 13 thieves and people who incite chaos and anarchy will be amputated and their legs will be shot.”
Despite the fact that a similarly named unit operated in Gaza several years ago, the current “Arrow” unit appears to have been established by Hamas during the war last year. The unit describes itself as having been established by Hamas’ Ministry of Interior “to pursue and execute thieves, merchants, agents, and highwaymen.” According to the Al-Mashhad channel , the unit is made up of policemen, members of Palestinian terror groups and others, and its members patrol the Gaza Strip in civilian clothing, rather than in military or police attire.
They are also known for publishing graphic videos of public lynchings and shooting those accused of theft or treason, as a means to stir fear in the hearts of Gazans.
The unit has been deployed in the past couple of days in a reinforced manner, plausibly on the backdrop of a series of criminal acts including armed looting, theft and burglary, directed against ordinary citizens, and convoys and warehouses. The deployment of the aggressive force may signal a fear of social collapse from a part of Hamas, which the terrorist organization is looking to overcome.
On Saturday (3rd) the unit announced a daily curfew in Gaza starting at 21:00 pm, explaining that movement would be prohibited after the set time except in cases of extreme necessity, in order to “allow our deterrent units to pursue and hold mercenaries accountable.” The group which has been acting as Hamas’ arm in the catching of what they deem “merchants, thieves and gangs” added that the decision would remain in effect “until further notice,” threatening to “treat anyone who moves without justification as a traitorous thief who assists the occupation.”
In Gaza, views toward the unit are split between ardent Hamas supporters who see them as an indispensable arm of the terrorist organization and praised them for disposing of collaborators and protecting goods from being stolen, and those who accuse them of illicit bullying, harassing and executing civilians – and even of stealing aid for themselves. Some have even blamed the unit for targeting specific clans, most plausibly those which are known to be less loyal to Hamas.
One such blogger reacted to the imposed curfew, commenting, “A statement was issued asking people not to move after 9 pm and until further notice so that they can deal with the matter as they wish. That means, ‘Do not go out. O our people, so that they can steal and plunder as they please under the pretext of pursuing thieves.”
Herzog Meets With Ecuador President Ahead Of Opening Of Jerusalem Innovation Office
President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Sunday (4th) held separate meetings with officials from Ecuador on a visit during which the South American country will open a new Innovation Research and Development Center with diplomatic status in Jerusalem.
Herzog welcomed Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, marking Noboa’s first visit to Israel, Herzog’s office said.
“We are very grateful…for declaring the opening of your representative office in Jerusalem, which will be a diplomatic representative office. It is a huge step forward,” Herzog told Noboa
Herzog stressed the importance of bringing home the remaining hostages, calling their continued captivity in Gaza “a stain on humanity, which also impacts the future of the region and the ability of Israel and its neighbors to move forward towards peace.”
Noboa responded in agreement, saying, “We need to bring your citizens back home,” and added that his nation “advocates for peace, but we understand sometimes that peace has to be attained through strength.”
“We respect and value your expertise in technology and defense. We would like to work together,” Noboa continued, noting Ecuador’s own domestic struggle against terrorism.
Meanwhile Sa’ar met with Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld, Defense Minister Giancarlo Loffredo, and Interior Minister John Reimberg at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, according to his office.
“Ecuador is on the right side of history. Jerusalem is our eternal capital,” Sa’ar told the ministers.
“During the meeting, the parties also discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation and regional issues, with Iran at the forefront,” Sa’ar’s office added in a statement, saying that the foreign ministers “emphasized that a nuclear Iran poses the greatest threat to regional and global peace.”
In March, after speaking with Sommerfeld, Sa’ar announced Quito’s intention to open the Jerusalem office.
Currently, six countries have embassies in Jerusalem – the US, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, and Paraguay. Fiji said in February that it would move its embassy as well.
Israel considers Jerusalem to be its eternal undivided capital, including East Jerusalem.
US President Donald Trump moved his country’s embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, during his first term, in what Israel hoped would lead other countries to follow suit.
