Tel Aviv: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed Friday to "forcefully" retaliate against a missile fired from Yemen earlier in the day. The Yemeni Houthi group announced it fired a missile toward Ben Gurion Airport in central Israel, halting operations at the facility. The army claimed to have intercepted the missile with its air defense systems.

According to Anadolu Agency, Katz stated, "The Houthis continue to launch Iranian missiles at Israel," and affirmed that the army would "respond forcefully in Yemen and wherever necessary." This missile attack marks the second by the Houthi group since Israeli warplanes bombed the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Sunday, targeting its airport and resulting in seven fatalities and nearly 100 injuries, according to the group.

Israeli media reported that the Houthi group has launched 28 ballistic missiles and numerous drones at Israel since March 18, coinciding with Israel's resumption of its war on the Gaza Strip. The Houthis have been launching repeated attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping since November 2023, expressing solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.

While attacks on commercial vessels had largely ceased months ago, the strikes on Israel resumed after a brief pause following the collapse of a Gaza ceasefire in March.