Yemeni missile leaves crater near Israels Ben Gurion Airport

A "crater" was left near Israel's main international airport after the army said it attempted to intercept a missile launched from Yemen.

In a video from the scene near Ben Gurion Airport, Yair Hezroni, the police's central district chief, pointed to the "missile impact".

"You can see the area just behind us: a crater was formed here, several dozen metres wide and several dozen metres deep," he said.

Yemen's Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, which caused no casualties.

The Houthis have launched numerous attacks on Israel in support of the Palestinians since the beginning of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023.

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The Israeli army said warning sirens sounded across several regions of Israel on Sunday morning. 

It added that its air defences attempted to intercept the missile fired from Yemen.

Airport authorities announced the resumption of air traffic after a brief interruption.

"Takeoffs and landings have resumed normally. Ben Gurion Airport is open and operational," officials said. 

Hamas praised the "precision" strike.

"Yemen... escalates its attacks on the heart of the illegitimate Zionist entity, surpassing the most advanced defence systems in the world and striking its targets with precision," Abu Obeida, spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement.

Sunday's incident comes a day after the Israeli military intercepted another missile fired by Houthi fighters.

The Israeli military said sirens were activated in a number of areas in Israel after the attack, the third of its kind by the group in 24 hours.

No casualties or serious damage were reported from the missile salvoes. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there would be a "phased" retaliation against Yemen.

The claim of responsibility, announced by the Houthis' military spokesperson, came amid an intensification of US air strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

In March, US President Donald Trump ordered large-scale strikes against the Houthis to reduce their capabilities and deter them from targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

Following Sunday's attack, Germany's Lufthansa airline group said it had suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until 6 May.

The group, whose carriers include Eurowings, Swiss, Austrian and Brussels Airlines, said the "current situation" had forced their hand.

British Airways also said it would be suspending flights until 7 May.

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