Yemen Announces Air Blockade of Israel Following Strike on Tel Aviv Airport

The Ansar-Allah movement, commonly known as the Houthis, announced late Sunday the imposition of an air blockade on Israel after launching a missile strike earlier that day on Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, injuring at least seven people.

In a statement released by Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson General Yahya Saree, the group declared that it would continue targeting Israeli airports, particularly Ben Gurion, in response to what it called “Israeli escalation and expanding hostilities against Gaza.”

“In response to the Israeli escalation of expanding hostilities against Gaza, the Yemeni Armed Forces announced that they will work to impose a comprehensive air blockade on the Israeli enemy by repeatedly targeting airports,” Saree said.

The early morning missile strike prompted multiple international airlines to suspend service to Israel. United Airlines announced the cancellation of all flights to Tel Aviv through May 8th, while Lufthansa said it would suspend flights until May 6th. By late Sunday, only a handful of foreign carriers were still operating flights into Israel.

The strike has drawn criticism in both Tel Aviv and Washington after Israeli air defenses—including the U.S.-supplied Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system—failed to intercept the incoming missile.

The Ben Gurion strike is part of a broader uptick in Ansar-Allah operations. Over the weekend, the group launched five additional missiles toward Israeli territory, all of which were reportedly intercepted. Still, the attacks highlight the growing challenge posed by Yemen's forces despite nearly two months of sustained U.S.-led airstrikes aimed at degrading their military capabilities.

The U.S. bombing campaign, which began in January, has so far failed to secure key shipping lanes in the Red Sea. Instead, Ansar-Allah has continued to expand its operations beyond the maritime domain.

On Friday, the group announced it would begin targeting ships transporting U.S. oil in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean starting May 17th—a significant escalation that could further destabilize global shipping and energy markets.