Houthis Threaten Israel with 'Air Blockade'

Yahya Saree, the spokesperson for the Houthi military, issued a statement on Sunday night threatening to impose an 'air blockade' on Israel in response to the government's decision to expand its military activity in the Gaza Strip. He stated, 'In response to the Israeli escalation, reflected in the decision to expand aggressive actions against Gaza, the Yemeni military forces announce that they will work to impose a comprehensive air blockade on the Israeli enemy through repeated attacks on airports, led by Lod Airport, known as Ben Gurion Airport in Israel.'

Saree added, 'We call on all international airlines to take into account the statement from the moment of its declaration and publication, and to cancel all flights to the enemy's airports, in order to preserve the safety of their aircraft and passengers. Yemen, free and independent, will not accept the continuation of the situation that the enemy is trying to impose by attacking Arab countries like Lebanon and Syria, and it affirms that this nation will not fear confrontation and will refuse to surrender and be dominated.'

It should be noted that yesterday morning a missile fired from Yemen managed to penetrate Israel's air defense systems and fell near Ben Gurion Airport. No significant damage was caused, but a 50-year-old man was lightly to moderately injured and a 54-year-old woman was lightly injured from the shock. A 32-year-old woman was injured on her way to the shelter and two people suffered from anxiety. Following the fall, several airlines announced the suspension of flights to Israel yesterday. Wizz Air announced that it is delaying its flights until Tuesday morning (6.5) and is closely monitoring the situation. United Airlines announced the suspension of flights to Israel until this coming Friday.

In a video published yesterday, Udi Bar Oz, the manager of the airport, said, 'The safety and security of passengers and crews are our top priority. This morning we experienced a fall near the access road. Within less than 30 minutes, Ben Gurion Airport returned to regular activity of landings and takeoffs of all airlines. The airlines naturally assess the situation regarding the continuation of their flights. We and the Ministry of Transportation provide them with all the necessary information 24/7 so that there will be minimal impact on the flight schedule in the coming days.'