Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that the killing of the leader of the Lebanese group "Hezbollah" Hassan Nasrallah is a historic turning point that could change the balance of power in the Middle East, while also warning that there are "challenging days" ahead, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
"Nasrallah was not a terrorist, he was the Terrorist," Netanyahu said in a statement. "The killing of Nasrallah was a necessary step towards achieving the goals we set ourselves, the safe return of the residents of the northern regions of the country to their homes and changing the balance of power in the region for years to come," he added.
Air raid sirens went off in central Israel today, including in Tel Aviv, followed by loud explosions. The Israeli military reported that a missile was fired from Yemen, which they intercepted, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
Yemen's Houthi rebels later announced that they had fired a ballistic missile at Ben Gurion International Airport. near Tel Aviv. They said the attack was planned to coincide with the arrival of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was addressing the UN General Assembly in New York yesterday.
This is the second attack by the Houthis against Israel in less than two days - a missile was also intercepted yesterday.
Earlier today, the Houthi movement expressed its grief for the leader of the Lebanese group "Hezbollah" Hassan Nasrallah - his ally in the Iran-backed alliance against Israel - after his death in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.