Oman’s grand mufti congratulates Houthis after attack on Israel

The Grand Mufti of the Sultanate of Oman, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Hamad Al-Khalili, congratulated the Houthi group in Yemen after it attacked Ben Gurion Airport in the occupation state of Israel with a ballistic missile.

In a post on his official account on X on Sunday, Al-Khalili said: “We salute the heroic Yemeni commandos who were sincere in upholding the truth and confronting injustice and oppression, and God fulfilled His promise.”

“We congratulate them on this great achievement, which God has enabled them to achieve. They were able to target the enemy in its most important positions. God granted them His grace by enabling them to invent these deadly weapons, which have left their enemies bewildered and astonished.”

On Sunday, Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel’s main airport, was plunged into chaos after being targeted by a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi group in Yemen.

Israel’s Channel 13 reported that the Israeli Arrow air defences and the American THAAD system failed to intercept the missile, which injured seven people and disrupted air traffic.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to launch attacks on Yemen after the attack on Ben Gurion Airport, while the Houthi group announced hours later that it is imposing an air blockade on the Israeli occupation state.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said: “In response to the Israeli escalation by deciding to expand its hostile operations against Gaza, we announce that we will impose a comprehensive air blockade on the Israeli enemy by repeatedly targeting airports, most notably Lod Airport, known by Israel as Ben Gurion Airport.”

Saree added: “We call on all international airlines to take this statement into consideration from the moment it is announced and published, and to cancel all flights to airports belonging to the criminal enemy, to protect the safety of their aircraft and their customers.”

Meanwhile, the US launched a series of air strikes on various areas of the city of Saada and the capital, Sana’a, according to the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah channel.

READ: Yemen’s Houthis threaten ‘comprehensive aerial blockade’ on Israel