At 4:30pm on Friday, the Houthis fired another missile at Israel, right as Israelis prepared to celebrate Shabbat.
By Rachel Avraham
At 4:30pm on Friday, the Houthis fired another missile at Israel, right as Israelis prepared to celebrate Shabbat. Alerts were reported as far north as Samaria, Netanya and Tel Aviv, Arutz Sheva reported. According to the report, Ben-Gurion Airport, which was targeted earlier, sounded a warning siren as well, and all flights were stopped for a quarter of an hour. Arutz Sheva added that several basketball and soccer matches taking place in central Israel had to be halted due to the attack.
The missile was intercepted successfully by the American THAAD system, Arutz Sheva noted. According to the report, one woman was reportedly injured while running to a shelter. This is the second ballistic missile attack by the Houthis since the Israeli bombing of the Sana’a Airport. The Houthis have fired 29 ballistic missiles at Israel since the end of the ceasefire, Arutz Sheva stressed.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel would respond, the Times of Israel reported. “The Houthis continue to launch Iranian missiles at Israel. As we promised, we will respond strongly in Yemen and anywhere else necessary,” he told the Times of Israel.
In an interview with Kan News, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee delivered a warning to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, stating that further attacks on Israel could carry serious implications for the United States, Arutz Sheva reported. “Israel may not be a formal party to the U.S. agreement, but the Houthis understand what’s at stake,” Huckabee said in reference to the recent cease-fire agreement between the United States and the Houthis.
He added: “If they continue to attack Israel, they are potentially attacking America, since there are 700,000 Americans living in Israel. If they harm an American, they are essentially attacking America.” Huckabee emphasized that the safety of American citizens and the broader implications of regional attacks remain a top priority for the U.S. administration, Arutz Sheva reported.
In light of the security situation, a number of airlines have canceled their flights to Israel, Israel Hayom reported. According to the report, as of now, Wizz Air has canceled its flights through May 14. Israel Hayom added that US carriers Delta and United Airlines have also canceled their Israel routes for the time being. According to the report, Delta has suspended all flights to Israel through May 19, while United has canceled flights through May 18.
Following a security assessment, Israel Hayom reported that the Lufthansa Group – which includes Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings – has extended its suspension of service to and from Tel Aviv through May 18 (inclusive). According to the report, Greek carrier Aegean Airlines has canceled flights through May 16, while Ryanair has canceled flights through May 21.
Israel Hayom added that Italian airline ITA has extended its suspension through May 19, and flights AZ809 and AZ815 on May 12 have also been canceled. According to the report, Air Europa and Air India also announced they would halt operations in Israel. Israel Hayom added that Air France and Transavia have suspended their Israel routes through May 13. According to the report, Polish carrier LOT has canceled its flights to Israel through May 12. Israel Hayom added that Iberia Express has suspended flights to Israel through May 31. According to the report, British Airways has extended its suspension through June 14.
