SANAA, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group announced on Friday that it launched a "hypersonic ballistic missile" targeting Israel's Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, claiming it had hit its target.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a televised statement on Houthi-run al-Masirah TV that the strike caused casualties and disrupted air traffic at the airport.

"The missile succeeded in reaching its target despite the enemy's secrecy. The operation resulted in casualties and the suspension of air traffic at the airport," Sarea alleged.

However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had intercepted the missile. The IDF acknowledged that air traffic was halted for 30 minutes, while Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said 18 people were slightly injured on their way to shelters.

The Houthis also claimed responsibility for additional attacks, including a drone strike on what they described as a "vital" site in Tel Aviv and a vessel named Santa Ursula near Yemen's Socotra Island in the Arabian Sea. According to Sarea, the vessel was targeted for alleged connections to Israeli ports.

"The Israeli aggression on civilian facilities in Sanaa and Hodeidah will increase our determination to support the Palestinian people," Sarea said, vowing to expand attacks on Israeli targets until the "aggression on Gaza stops and the siege is lifted."

Israel launched airstrikes on Thursday targeting Houthi positions in Yemen, including Sanaa International Airport and facilities in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported that the strikes caused significant damage, killing at least six people and injuring dozens, including a United Nations staff member.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), was at Sanaa International Airport, preparing to board a UN flight, when Israeli airstrikes struck the area. He confirmed that he and his team escaped the strikes without harm.

Ghebreyesus had been in Sanaa for talks aimed at securing the release of UN personnel who had been detained by the Houthi group earlier this year. He called on the Houthi leadership to release the detained employees without delay.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also criticized the intensifying violence, calling for adherence to international law.

Thursday's airstrike marks the fourth Israeli strike on Houthi-controlled targets this year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his resolve to dismantle the Houthis' military capabilities, labeling them a "terror arm of the Iranian axis of evil."

The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have ramped up attacks against Israel and Israeli-linked shipping since November 2023, framing their actions as solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Enditem

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