Regional Equations Changed with Yemeni Ansar Allah's Dagger in the Heart of the Zionist Regime

The courageous attack by Yemen's Ansar Allah on Ben Gurion Airport with Palestine 2 hypersonic missiles was a turning point in the fight against the Zionist regime, dealing a heavy blow to the regime's discredited image.

News ID: 86105

Date: 05 May 2025 - 09:22

TEHRAN (Defapress) - Ben Gurion International Airport, located 15 kilometers southeast of Tel Aviv, is recognized as the largest and primary air gateway of the Zionist regime. Named after David Ben Gurion, the first prime minister of the Zionist regime, this airport plays a vital role in the regime’s economy, tourism, and international communications. However, since the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm in October 2023, the airport has repeatedly been targeted by resistance forces, particularly Yemen’s Ansar Allah.

Flight Capacity of Ben Gurion Airport

Ben Gurion Airport is known as the busiest airport in the Zionist regime and one of the most significant air hubs in the Middle East. According to 2023 data, the airport handled over 21.1 million passengers annually and serves as the main hub for airlines such as El Al, Israir, and Arkia. The airport has 3  main terminals, with Terminal 3 specifically designed for international flights, equipped with advanced facilities to manage high flight volumes. The airport’s operational capacity allows it to handle hundreds of incoming and outgoing flights daily, with the ability to accommodate large aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380.

Statistics indicate that under normal conditions, Ben Gurion manages between 300 and 400 flights daily (including domestic and international flights). This capacity is made possible by modern infrastructure, multiple runways, and advanced navigation systems. However, this capacity is significantly affected during crises, such as missile attacks or security threats, as observed following Operation Al-Aqsa Storm and Ansar Allah’s attacks.

Reduction in Flights Following Operation Al-Aqsa Storm

Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, launched in October 2023 by Palestinian resistance forces, marked a turning point in confronting the Zionist regime. This operation not only challenged the regime on military and political fronts but also placed unprecedented pressure on its critical infrastructure, including Ben Gurion Airport. Since the operation began, flights at Ben Gurion Airport have significantly decreased due to security concerns and reduced travel demand.

According to reports, many international airlines, including Western carriers, canceled their flights to Ben Gurion. For instance, the New York Times reported in August 2024 that 18 flights by Western airlines were canceled in a single day due to security concerns. This reduction in flights was exacerbated by repeated missile attacks by resistance forces, particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon and Ansar Allah in Yemen. Zionist media reported that at certain points, airport operations were completely halted for hours or even days.

According to Zionist media estimates, from October 2023 to May 2025, the number of daily flights at Ben Gurion decreased by up to 70% during some periods. This reduction was not only due to direct military threats but also due to a loss of confidence among passengers and airlines in the airport’s security. The suspension of flights also forced the Zionist regime to rely on Ramon Airport in the Negev Desert for some flights, which has significantly lower capacity compared to Ben Gurion.

Reaction of Zionist Regime Officials to Ansar Allah Attack

The recent Ansar Allah attack on Ben Gurion Airport caused flight operations to be halted for several hours and inflicted significant damage to its infrastructure. The missile, launched from over 2,000 kilometers away, bypassed the regime’s advanced defense systems and dealt a severe blow to the Zionist regime’s military credibility.

Yisrael Katz, the Zionist regime’s Minister of War, issued a theatrical threat of retaliation against Yemen. The regime’s prime minister is also set to hold an emergency meeting to discuss how to respond to the successful attack by Yemen’s army on Ben Gurion Airport. Hebrew media outlets, such as Haaretz, reported that the failure of the “Arrow 3” and “THAAD” systems to intercept Ansar Allah’s hypersonic missile has caused deep concerns among the regime’s military officials. These reactions highlight the regime’s desperation in the face of Ansar Allah’s military capabilities, which once again proved capable of altering the region’s military equations.

Economic Impact of Ansar Allah’s Attack on Ben Gurion Airport

Ansar Allah’s hypersonic missile attack on Ben Gurion Airport will have profound economic consequences for the regime. The airport, which serves as the main artery of the regime’s economy in terms of trade, tourism, and international transportation, incurred heavy financial losses due to the hours-long suspension of flights. The cancellation of hundreds of flights and the stranding of thousands of passengers led to reduced revenue for airlines and businesses dependent on the airport.

The regime’s tourism industry, already battered by Operation Al-Aqsa Storm and the exodus of approximately 250,000 Zionists from the occupied territories, will suffer further damage following this attack. The reduction in flights and security concerns have minimized the number of incoming tourists. Additionally, international companies engaged in commercial cooperation with the Zionist regime will limit their activities due to the insecurity of Ben Gurion and the lack of a suitable investment environment.

From a broader perspective, this attack has eroded investor confidence in the Zionist regime, causing additional losses to this child-killing regime. Moreover, direct damage to the airport’s infrastructure, combined with the costs of repairs and strengthening defense systems, will impose further financial pressure on the regime’s economy. This comes at a time when the regime’s economy was already strained due to the costs of wars in Gaza and Lebanon, with no opportunity for recovery.

Defense Systems of Ben Gurion Airport

Due to its strategic importance, Ben Gurion Airport is protected by advanced defense systems, including:

Arrow System: Designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles, the “Arrow 3” version is capable of countering advanced missiles. This system was developed in collaboration with the United States.

THAAD System: An American system for intercepting ballistic missiles in their terminal phase, occasionally deployed to protect Ben Gurion.

Iron Dome System: Active around Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion, it is designed to counter short-range rockets and missiles.
David’s Sling System: Used to intercept mid-range missiles and drones.

These systems are equipped with advanced radars and coordinated mechanisms to protect critical infrastructure. However, their failure to intercept the Palestine 2 hypersonic missile highlights the limitations of these technologies against Ansar Allah’s advanced weaponry.

Reasons for the Success of Ansar Allah’s Operation in Attacking Ben Gurion

Hypersonic missiles, such as Palestine 2, pose a significant challenge to defense systems due to their extremely high speed (over 5 Mach, or approximately 6,170 kilometers per hour) and maneuverability during various flight phases. According to a BBC report, this missile struck Ben Gurion Airport with high speed and precision. Key features that likely contributed to bypassing defense systems include:

High Speed and Limited Reaction Time: The Palestine 2 missile likely covered the 2,000-kilometer distance in less than 12 minutes. This high speed significantly reduced the reaction time of the regime’s radar and interception systems. Systems like Arrow 3 and THAAD, designed to intercept ballistic missiles with predictable trajectories, are ineffective against hypersonic targets with response times of just a few seconds.

Maneuverability in the Terminal Phase: Hypersonic missiles can follow unpredictable paths in the terminal phase of flight. This capability, likely employed in Palestine 2, prevents the regime’s tracking radars from accurately predicting the missile’s trajectory, causing interceptor missiles (such as those of Arrow or THAAD) to miss the target.

Low Radar Cross-Section (RCS): Ansar Allah likely used technologies to reduce the radar cross-section in the missile’s design. These technologies, including radar-absorbing materials or specific aerodynamic designs, made it harder for the regime’s radars to detect the missile.

Another likely strength of Ansar Allah’s attack was the selection of an unconventional flight path for the Palestine 2 missile. The Zionist regime’s defense systems, particularly Arrow and THAAD, are optimized for intercepting ballistic missiles with standard parabolic trajectories. However, hypersonic missiles can follow quasi-ballistic or even low-altitude trajectories. The following possibilities are relevant:

Low-Altitude Flight in the Mid-Phase: The Palestine 2 missile may have flown at a lower altitude than typical ballistic missiles during parts of its trajectory. This would make it harder for the regime’s long-range radars, tuned to detect targets at high altitudes, to identify the missile in time. This tactic is particularly effective against THAAD, which is designed for interception in the terminal phase at high altitudes.

Exploiting Radar Blind Spots: Ansar Allah may have designed the flight path to pass through radar blind spots, such as areas with weak ground radar coverage or regions affected by natural geography (e.g., hills or seas). This tactic allowed the missile to remain hidden from radars during parts of its trajectory.

A strong possibility is Ansar Allah’s use of electronic warfare technologies to disrupt the regime’s radars and guidance systems. These technologies could have indirectly aided the Palestine 2 missile, even if the missile itself was not equipped with such systems. The following possibilities are worth considering:

Radar Jamming: Ansar Allah may have used ground-based or even satellite-based jamming systems to create noise in the regime’s radar bands. This noise could reduce the radars’ ability to detect and track the missile. For example, the AN/TPY-2 radar of the THAAD system, used for tracking long-range targets, is vulnerable to targeted jamming.

Radar Deception: Ansar Allah likely used deceptive signals to create false targets on the regime’s radars. These signals could trick radars into reacting to imaginary targets instead of the real missile, allowing Palestine 2 to reach its target unhindered.

Additionally, Ansar Allah targeted sensitive sections of Ben Gurion Airport with precise geographical and military intelligence, demonstrating the movement’s high intelligence capabilities. Furthermore, the timing of the attack was likely chosen to catch the Zionist regime in a state of low readiness. For example, the attack may have occurred during low radar traffic hours or when the regime was preoccupied with managing other threats.

It should be noted that the Zionist regime’s defense systems, despite their sophistication, have limitations that Ansar Allah effectively exploited:

Lack of Optimization for Hypersonic Targets: The Arrow 3 and THAAD systems are designed to counter traditional ballistic missiles with predictable parabolic trajectories. Hypersonic missiles like Palestine 2, with their combination of high speed and maneuverability, operate beyond the design scope of these systems. For instance, Arrow’s interceptor missiles are optimized for targets with speeds below 4 Mach, while Palestine 2 exceeds 5 Mach.

Limited Coordination Between Systems: The Zionist regime uses multiple defense systems (Arrow, THAAD, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome) in a layered approach, but coordination between these systems can falter against unexpected threats. The rapid and unpredictable attack by Palestine 2 likely targeted this coordination gap.

Conclusion

The courageous attack by Yemen’s Ansar Allah on Ben Gurion Airport with the Palestine 2 hypersonic missile in May 4, 2025 marked a turning point in the struggle against the Zionist regime. This attack showcased Ansar Allah’s advanced military capabilities to the world and dealt a severe blow to the regime’s infrastructure and economy. Ben Gurion Airport, once a symbol of the Zionist regime’s power, has now become a vulnerable target, succumbing to attacks by resistance forces, particularly Ansar Allah. The reduction in flights following Al-Aqsa Storm, the failure of defense systems, and the weak responses of Zionist officials all underscore the regime’s weakness in the face of the resistance’s determination.

Ansar Allah Yemen, with this attack, once again proved its steadfast support for the oppressed Palestinian people and demonstrated that with courage and creativity, it can alter the region’s equations. This report proudly supports this movement and hopes that its actions will lead to the complete liberation of Palestine and the end of the Zionist regime’s occupation.