The Israeli military said that it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen on Friday, just one day after shooting down two projectiles fired by Houthi militants.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attack. In a televised statement early Saturday, the group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, stated that they had fired a ballistic missile toward Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv. Saree described the attack as the group’s third strike against Israel within 48 hours.

The spokesperson also issued a warning to airlines, declaring that Ben Gurion Airport was “no longer safe for air travel and would continue to be so until Israeli aggression against Gaza ends and the blockade is lifted.” Despite this claim, the airport’s website appeared to be functioning normally, displaying a list of scheduled flights.

In addition, Saree claimed, without providing evidence, that the Houthis had launched attacks against the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea.

The latest attacks come amid the Houthis’ vow to escalate their military actions, including those targeting Israel, in response to recent US strikes. Earlier this month, the US launched its most extensive military operation in the Middle East since President Donald Trump took office in January, resulting in at least 50 casualties.

The Houthis have pledged to expand their range of targets in Israel as retaliation for renewed Israeli strikes in Gaza, which have killed hundreds after a period of relative calm. Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in late 2023, the Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on commercial shipping, claiming to act in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

These attacks have disrupted global trade and prompted the US military to undertake costly interception efforts.

The Houthis are part of the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” an anti-Israel and anti-Western alliance of regional militias that includes Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and armed groups in Iraq, all of which receive backing from Iran.