JERUSALEM/ANKARA

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed Friday to "forcefully" retaliate against a missile fired from Yemen earlier in the day.

The Yemeni Houthi group announced it fired a missile toward Ben Gurion Airport in central Israel, halting operations at the facility. The army claimed to have intercepted the missile with its air defense systems.

"The Houthis continue to launch Iranian missiles at Israel," Katz claimed, vowing the army would "respond forcefully in Yemen and wherever necessary."

Friday's missile is the second by the Houthi group since Israeli warplanes bombed the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Sunday. including its airport, killing seven victims and injuring nearly 100, according to the group.

Israeli media said the Houthi group launched 28 ballistic missiles and dozens of drones at Israel since March 18, when Israel resumed its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched repeated attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Gaza war.

While attacks on commercial vessels largely stopped months ago, strikes on Israel resumed after a brief pause when a Gaza ceasefire collapsed in March.