SANAA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group said on Sunday it had launched a hypersonic ballistic missile at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv in retaliation for an Israeli strike on a power station in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a televised address on the movement's al-Masirah TV that the missile successfully achieved its goal, forcing millions of Israelis to "rush to shelters and suspend the airport's operations."

He said the attack was in response to what he called Israel's "crimes of genocide and starvation in Gaza" and its "aggression against Yemen."

The Israeli military said in a statement that it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, triggering sirens across the country. It did not report damage or casualties.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, quoted by Israel's Channel 12, said the military earlier in the day had struck an infrastructure target in Houthi-controlled territory, including a power station in southern Sanaa.

Authorities in Sanaa said Israeli missiles destroyed electricity generators at the Hezyaz power station in southern Sanaa. No casualties were reported. The site has been hit repeatedly since last year.

The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have carried out drone and missile attacks on Israel since November 2023 in what they describe as solidarity with Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Most of the projectiles have been intercepted by Israeli defenses.

Israel has responded with strikes on Houthi-held areas, targeting airports, power stations, and ports in Sanaa and Hodeidah. ■