Yemen’s Huthi rebels claimed responsibility for firing a missile at Israel’s main airport on Tuesday, as the Israeli military said it intercepted it.

The Iran-backed rebels targeted Ben Gurion airport “using a ‘Palestine 2’ hypersonic ballistic missile” in support of Palestinians in Gaza, their military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a video statement.

The Israeli military posted on X that “a missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted by the Israeli air force”.

Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, the Huthis have repeatedly fired missiles and drones at Israel. Most of them have been intercepted but they have prompted Israeli air strikes on rebel targets in Yemen.

The rebels have also attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden alleged to be linked to Israel, prompting several rounds of US-led air strikes.