Houthi leader Mahdi al-Mashat warned airlines against flying to Tel Aviv. According to him, aircraft heading to Ben Gurion Airport risk being hit.
“I appeal to all airlines that continue to fly to Lod Airport, known as Ben Gurion: they may be at risk at any moment,” al-Mashat said on the Houthi-controlled Al Masirah TV channel on Thursday. He also urged passengers not to use the services of such carriers, as flights “are not safe.”
Earlier, the Israeli Defence Forces press service reported strikes on Sana’a International Airport and aircraft belonging to Houthis. Israel claims that the Houthis used these aircraft “to transport terrorists planning attacks” on Israel.
According to Khaled al-Shayef, CEO of Sana’a Airport, the Israeli attack destroyed the last Yemenia Airways plane serving the Yemeni capital’s air hub.
After the start of the conflict in the Gaza Strip in 2023, the Houthis announced their intention to strike Israeli territory and block Israeli ships from passing through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. After a temporary ceasefire in January this year, the attacks stopped, but in early March, the rebels resumed strikes on Israeli targets, including Ben Gurion Airport.
