Israeli Defense Minister Threatens “Sevenfold” Retaliation After Houthi Missile Hits Near Ben Gurion Airport
Yisrael Katz Vows Massive Response as Critics Accuse Israel of War Crimes in Gaza and Escalating Regional Tensions
Watan-Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz on Sunday issued a stark threat to Yemen’s Houthi movement after a ballistic missile landed near Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv. The missile, launched from Yemen and claimed by the Houthis, led to explosions and injuries, prompting the closure of the airport.
In a brief statement, Katz declared:“Anyone who hits us will be hit sevenfold.”
The statement was made shortly after Israeli police confirmed the fall of a missile near the airport, one of the country’s most critical infrastructures.
Yisrael Katz’s remarks reflect a growing policy of disproportionate retaliation—a hallmark of Israeli military doctrine that has drawn sharp international criticism. Human rights organizations have increasingly documented what they describe as Israeli war crimes in Gaza, including indiscriminate airstrikes on civilian areas, targeting hospitals, and blocking humanitarian aid.
Katz’s “Sevenfold” Threat Escalates Tensions Amid Gaza War Crimes Accusations
Since the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023, thousands of civilians—many of them women and children—have been killed, and entire neighborhoods flattened. Critics argue that Katz, along with other senior Israeli officials, bears legal and moral responsibility for enabling or directing these operations.
Katz’s latest threat of a “sevenfold” response is seen by many analysts as dangerously escalatory, particularly given ongoing tensions with Iran, Lebanon, and now Yemen. The use of such inflammatory rhetoric may further destabilize the region and increase the likelihood of broader war.
Moreover, the failure of U.S.-Israeli missile defense systems to intercept the Houthi missile near Ben Gurion raises critical questions about the vulnerability of Israeli strategic assets and the shifting capabilities of regional resistance forces.