ISTANBUL

The Yemeni Houthi group said Friday that it launched three drone attacks targeting the Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv and “vital sites” in southern Israel.

Military spokesperson Yahya Saree described the attacks as “qualitative military operations” by the group’s air force.

He stated the first drone struck the Ben Gurion Airport, while the other two targeted unspecified “vital” sites in Beersheba and Ashkelon.

Saree renewed his warning to international shipping companies operating at Israeli ports. He said their vessels “will be targeted regardless of their destination,” and urged firms to immediately halt all dealings with Israeli harbors to protect their ships and crews.

Earlier Friday, the Israeli military said it intercepted a drone launched from the east but provided no details.

The Houthis have intensified missile and drone strikes on Israel since Israeli forces resumed attacks on the Gaza Strip in March after two months of a shaky ceasefire.

Since November 2023, the group has targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where more than 61,300 victims have been killed in an Israeli genocide.