From Sea to Sky: Houthis Escalate With Strike on Israel’s Airport

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have intensified their military campaign in support of Palestinians in Gaza, claiming responsibility for a missile strike aimed at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport following a series of escalating attacks in the Red Sea.

On Thursday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced that the group had launched a “qualitative military operation” targeting the airport with a ballistic missile.

The Israeli military confirmed the attempted strike but said its defense systems had successfully intercepted the projectile before it could cause any damage.

The attack followed a deadly escalation at sea earlier this week.

On Monday, the Houthis struck the Eternity C, a Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated cargo vessel navigating the Red Sea.

The assault left at least four sailors dead and led to the vessel’s sinking on Tuesday.

Maritime sources told Reuters that six crew members from the Eternity C are now in Houthi custody.

The ship had 25 people onboard at the time of the attack.

According to the European Union’s Aspides naval task force, 10 survivors were rescued from the sea, while 11 remain missing.

The Houthis claim to have rescued several of the missing and are providing them with medical care in an undisclosed location.

“The crew members have been moved to a safe area,” said Saree in a televised statement on Wednesday.

However, the U.S. Embassy in Yemen disputed that narrative.

In a post on social platform X, American officials accused the Houthis of kidnapping the crew, stating they had “killed their shipmates, sunk their ship, and obstructed rescue efforts.”

The Eternity C incident came just a day after another ship, the Magic Seas, was also hit and sunk by Houthi forces.

While all of the Magic Seas crew members were successfully evacuated, the attacks mark a renewed escalation in the Houthis’ maritime campaign that began in November 2023.

Since then, over 100 vessels have reportedly come under attack in a push by the Iran-aligned rebel group to block Israeli-linked shipping routes through the Red and Arabian Seas.

Following Sunday’s strikes, Houthi officials reaffirmed their position, stating that vessels with any ties to Israeli interests are now considered “legitimate targets.”

The group vowed to continue its operations until Israel ends its offensive in Gaza and lifts the siege.

In response, Israel carried out multiple air raids on Yemen late Sunday night.

Israeli forces reportedly struck Houthi positions in the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and as-Salif, along with a coastal power facility at Ras Qantib.

The strikes were said to be retaliation for earlier Houthi missile launches aimed at Israeli territory.

Among the targets in the Israeli counteroffensive was the Galaxy Leader, a cargo vessel seized by the Houthis in late 2023 and held at the Ras Isa port.

Israel claims the vessel was being used to support rebel operations.

The Galaxy Leader crew, consisting of 25 individuals, had been detained by the Houthis for 430 days before being released in January 2025.

The latest escalation adds to growing tensions in the region, with the Red Sea becoming an increasingly dangerous zone for international maritime activity.

Global shipping companies have rerouted vessels to avoid the area, significantly impacting global trade flows.

The Houthis have positioned their actions as part of a broader solidarity campaign with Palestinians in Gaza, where the death toll from ongoing Israeli military operations continues to rise.

While the group has drawn condemnation from Western powers for its targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure, it has garnered support from various pro-Palestinian movements in the Arab world.

Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict have so far yielded little success.

The U.S. and its allies continue to demand an end to Houthi aggression, while the rebels insist that any ceasefire is contingent upon a halt to Israel’s Gaza campaign and the lifting of the blockade.

As the situation develops, the risk of broader regional destabilization supposedly remains high.

The Red Sea is reportedly becoming both a strategic flashpoint and a symbolic battleground in the growing confrontation over the war in Gaza.

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