March 23 (Reuters) – The Israeli military said on Sunday it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen before it crossed into Israeli territory, as escalation between Israel and the Iran-aligned Houthis continue.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the group fired a ballistic missile toward Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said in a televised statement on Sunday.
Saree said the attack led to the suspension of air traffic at the airport for over half an hour.
Israel Airports Authority, however, said that the airport was not affected.
The Houthis’ military spokesman also said without providing evidence that the Houthis had launched attacks on Sunday against the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea.
Khamenei Says Yemen’s Houthis Act Independently, Warns Against US Action
The Houthis recently vowed to escalate attacks, including those targeting Israel, in response to U.S. strikes earlier this month, which amount to the biggest U.S. military operation in the Middle East since President Donald Trump took office in January. The U.S. attacks have killed at least 50 people.
The Houthis’ fresh attacks come under a pledge to expand their range of targets in Israel in retaliation for renewed Israeli strikes in Gaza that have killed hundreds after weeks of relative calm.
(Reporting by Jaidaa Taha and Menna Alaa El-Din in Cairo; Editing by William Mallard and Clelia Oziel, Elaine Hardcastle)
