TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed a response to Yemen鈥檚 Houthis and their Iranian backers after the militant group struck the area of Israel鈥檚 main airport, wounding six people and prompting several major airlines to suspend flights.
The strike came hours before Israel鈥檚 army confirmed the call-up of 鈥渢ens of thousands鈥� of reservists to expand the 19-month war in Gaza against Palestinian militants Hamas.
The military confirmed that the attack, which gouged a large crater in the perimeter of Tel Aviv鈥檚 Ben Gurion Airport, was launched from Yemen and had struck despite 鈥渟everal attempts... to intercept the missile.鈥�
In a video published on Telegram, Netanyahu said Israel had 鈥渁cted against鈥� the Iran-backed group in the past and 鈥渨ill act in the future.鈥�
鈥淚t will not happen in one bang, but there will be many bangs,鈥� he added, without going into further detail.

Later on X, Netanyahu said Israel would also respond to Iran at 鈥渁 time and place of our choosing.鈥�
A police video showed officers standing on the edge of a deep hole in the ground with the control tower visible behind them. No damage was reported to airport infrastructure.
The police reported a 鈥渕issile impact鈥� at Israel鈥檚 main international gateway.
An AFP photographer said the missile hit near the parking lots of Terminal 3, the airport鈥檚 largest. The crater was just hundreds of meters from the tarmac.
Missile inside the airport
鈥淵ou can see the area just behind us: a crater was formed here, several dozen meters wide and several dozen meters deep,鈥� central Israel鈥檚 police chief, Yair Hezroni, said in the video.
鈥淭his is the first time鈥� that a missile has directly struck inside the airport perimeter, an Israeli military spokesperson told AFP.
Earlier, the Houthis, who say they act in support of Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The group said their forces 鈥渃arried out a military operation targeting Ben Gurion airport鈥� with a 鈥渉ypersonic ballistic missile.鈥�
Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened a forceful response, saying: 鈥淎nyone who hits us, we will hit them seven times stronger.鈥�
Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad later hailed the attack on the airport.
Israel鈥檚 Magen David Adom emergency service said it had treated at least six people with light to moderate injuries.
An AFP journalist inside the airport at the time of the attack said he heard a 鈥渓oud bang鈥� at around 9:35 am local time, adding that the 鈥渞everberation was very strong.鈥�
鈥淪ecurity staff immediately asked hundreds of passengers to take shelter, some in bunkers,鈥� the AFP journalist said.
鈥淢any passengers are now waiting for their flights to take off, and others are trying to find alternative flights.鈥�
An incoming Air India flight was diverted to Abu Dhabi, an airport official told AFP.
It was one of the airlines to suspend Tel Aviv flights until Tuesday along with Italy鈥檚 ITA Airways and Germany鈥檚 Lufthansa Group, which includes Austrian, Eurowings and SWISS. Air France announced the cancelation of Sunday flights.
The Houthis, who control swathes of Yemen, have launched missiles and drones targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping throughout the Gaza war.
Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid a deadlock over how to proceed with a two-month ceasefire that had largely stopped the war.