On May 4th, a missile was launched by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels based in Yemen, disrupting all operations at the Ben-Gurion International Airport in Israel. Although the missile did not obstruct any of the airport’s infrastructure, it struck near an access road, causing mass panic among passengers and injuring four people. The Israeli government has issued a statement that the incident likely happened because of a technical issue with their missile defence system.

The attack is a direct result of Israel’s move to expand its military operations in Gaza, in which thousands of reserve soldiers will be called up to remove and eliminate the Palestinian people. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump have indicated, there is clear intent to intensify the Israeli offensive. 

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree took responsibility for the insurgency, stating the group had deliberately launched a hypersonic ballistic missile as an act of resistance. As the Houthis are described as part of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance,” they have worked to combat Israel since the beginning of the war in Gaza in October 2023, expressing great solidarity for the Palestinian people. 

The ongoing war in Gaza has already claimed over 60,000 lives, many of them women and children. Israel has bombed every hospital in Gaza, limiting Palestinians’ access to basic necessities and leaving many injured and at risk of death. In addition, Israel continues to restrict access to medical professionals and aid organizations bringing food and medical care into Gaza, creating widespread hunger and a lack of life-saving supplies. This act of restricting essential aid, demolishing essential infrastructure in Gaza, is a war crime and should be treated as such. According to the United Nations, “Under international humanitarian law, specifically Article 54 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, it is prohibited to use starvation of civilians as a method of warfare. This includes attacking, destroying, removing, or rendering useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, such as foodstuffs and drinking water supplies.” 

The world’s leaders must work together to de-escalate and aid this already dire situation. The ongoing violence in Gaza is genocide and should be classified as such by countries around the globe. Now that Houthis have attacked Israel, the Yemeni people too will suffer, as Israel begins to forcefully evacuate Yemenis from their homes to eradicate “potential threats.” Similar to what happened in the early months of the war in Gaza, the Israeli Defense Force has started bombing civilian infrastructure, restricting essential access to food, water, and shelter. 

To prevent a harsher response like what has happened in Gaza, the international community must intervene, as many civilian lives are at stake, and peace and human welfare should be the priority. Israel should be held accountable for its crimes against humanity and the sovereignty of the Palestinian and Yemeni people.