A missile launched by Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen briefly halted flights and commuter traffic at Israel's main international airport on Sunday after its impact on open ground within the perimeter left a plume of smoke and caused panic among passengers. Israel's military said several attempts to intercept the Houthis' missile were unsuccessful. It left a crater near Ben-Gurion International Airport's access road. Passengers were heard yelling and scrambling for cover in footage shared by Israeli media, the AP reports. Officials said air, road, and rail traffic were halted for about an hour. Israel's paramedic service reported that four people were lightly wounded.
Israel's army confirmed this was the first time a missile struck the airport grounds since the war against Hamas began, though fragments of missiles or interceptors have struck nearby. The Houthis, who said they fired a hypersonic ballistic missile, have targeted Israel throughout the war in Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians. The attack came hours before Israeli Cabinet ministers were to vote on whether to intensify military operations in Gaza. The army began calling up thousands of reserves in anticipation of a wider operation, officials said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would respond to the Houthi attack "at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters."
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