Benjamin Netanyahu promises multi-phase response after missile hits Tel Aviv airport

Members of Israeli security services fill up a crater near a road outside Israel's Ben Gurion airport after a missile launched from Yemen struck the area

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday promised a multi-phased response to Yemen's Huthis after the terrorists struck the area of Israel's main airport with a missile.

"We have acted against them in the past and we will act in the future, but I cannot go into detail (...) it will not happen in one bang, but there will be many bangs," Netanyahu said in a video on published on the Telegram messaging platform.

Earlier, a missile struck inside the perimeter of Israel's main airport on Sunday, wounding six people, halting flights and gouging a wide crater, in an attack claimed by Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels.

The Israeli military said "several attempts were made to intercept" the missile that was launched from Yemen, a rare Huthi attack that penetrated Israel's air defences.

An official told AFP the country's security cabinet would convene in the evening.

A police video showed officers standing on the edge of a deep hole in the ground with the control tower visible behind them. No damage was reported to airport infrastructure.

The police reported a "missile impact" at Israel's main international gateway.

Meanwhile, several airlines, including Air India, decided to halt services to Tel Aviv for the next two to three days.

Air India said it had suspended flights to Tel Aviv until May 6 after a missile attack on Israel's main international airport.

"Our operations to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended with immediate effect till May 6, 2025, to ensure the safety of our customers and staff", the airline said in a statement.

Germany's Lufthansa airline group said  it has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until May 6 after a missile attack on Israel's main international airport. The group -- whose carriers include Eurowings, Swiss, Austrian and Brussels Airlines -- said it was halting services due to the "current situation".

British Airways said it was suspending all flights to and from Tel Aviv until May 7 after a Houthi-claimed missile struck inside the perimeter of Israel's main international airport.

"We continually monitor operating conditions and have made the decision to suspend all our flights to and from Tel Aviv, up to and including BA405 on Wednesday, 7 May," the airline said in a statement sent to AFP.