Yemen’s Houthis warn of “air blockade” on Israel as Netanyahu vows retaliation
Shafaq News/ On Sunday, Yemen's Houthis (Ansarallah) warned of imposing a "comprehensive air blockade" on Israel, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to deliver decisive blows to the group.
In a statement, Yahya Saree, the group's military spokesperson, declared Ansarallah's intention to target Israeli airports, particularly Ben Gurion, in response to “the Israeli escalation with its decision to expand aggressive operations against Gaza.”
He further urged international airlines to “cancel all scheduled flights to the airports of the criminal enemy, to preserve the safety of their aircraft and their agents,” after the group launched a missile that landed near Ben Gurion Airport earlier in the day, briefly disrupting air traffic as both Israel’s Arrow (Hetz) and the US THAAD systems failed to intercept it.
#معركة_الفتح_الموعود_والجهاد_المقدس pic.twitter.com/izcSgcC6Yc
— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21yemen) May 4, 2025
Meanwhile, Netanyahu said in a video posted on X that Tel Aviv “operated against them [Houthis] in the past and we will operate in the future,” adding, “It’s not ‘bang — that’s it…but there will be bangs.”
He accused Iran of directing the Houthi missile strike on the airport, warning that Israel will respond “at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters.”
President Trump is absolutely right!Attacks by the Houthis emanate from Iran. Israel will respond to the Houthi attack against our main airport AND, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters. pic.twitter.com/eO4hyUzNsI
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 4, 2025
“We will always remember that they acted under the orders and with the support of their patron — Iran,” he told Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, who is in Israel on an official visit, according to a readout from his office. “We will do what needs to be done to deliver a proper warning to Iran that we cannot tolerate such acts.”
Separately, the United States carried out a series of airstrikes across Yemen on Sunday evening, targeting the Al-Sawad area south of the capital, Sanaa, as well as Ras Issa port and Kamaran Island in Al-Salif, Hodeidah province, according to Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV.
No casualties have been reported so far.
Since March 15, 2025, over 1,000 US strikes have hit Yemen, resulting in severe civilian casualties and widespread destruction, as reported by the group-aligned newspaper 26 September.
The escalation came after the Houthis announced on March 12 that their ban on Israeli ships transiting the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Gulf of Aden had taken effect. They warned of further action in response to Israel’s continued blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza, where hostilities have killed over 61,709 people and injured more than 111,588, as per Al-Jazeera tracker.
The group's attacks have disrupted the vital maritime corridor through which around 12% of global shipping typically passes, forcing many companies to reroute along a much longer path around Africa.
