TEL AVIV — A series of Iranian ballistic missile strikes targeting central Israel has left several private aircraft damaged at a civilian airfield near Ben Gurion International Airport.
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the “19th wave” of its ongoing offensive, specifically stating that Khorramshahr-4 missiles—heavy projectiles equipped with one-ton warheads—were directed at the airport and the nearby base of the Israeli Air Force’s 27th Squadron.
Damage to Private Aviation
While Israel’s multi-layered missile defense system, including the Arrow and David’s Sling, intercepted the majority of the incoming threats, several impacts and falling debris were reported in the airport’s vicinity.
A “Wartime Terminal”
The latest barrage has further transformed Israel’s primary gateway into what travelers are calling a “military base.” Ben Gurion Airport, which had only recently partially reopened for repatriation flights with a cap of 9,000 passengers per day, has seen its civilian operations increasingly overshadowed by the presence of military assets.
Recent footage from the tarmac showed U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers stationed alongside commercial jets, reflecting the heightening cooperation between the U.S. and Israel following the start of “Operation Epic Fury” on February 28.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that despite the damage to the private fleet, the main runways at Ben Gurion remain operational for emergency and state-approved flights.
