Couple, out for walk after overnight sirens, find chunk of Houthi missile on their roof

Massive section of ballistic missile fired from Yemen fell on Mevo Beitar home while, inside safe room, family had no idea: ‘We didn’t hear much’

Footage shows a part of a missile fired from Yemen lodged on the roof of a house in the Israeli village of Mevo Beitar, west of Jerusalem, January 14, 2025. (Menahem Kahana / AFPTV / AFP)

A couple who went out for a morning stroll Tuesday was surprised to discover that a large section of a ballistic missile had smashed through the roof of their home, narrowly missing them.

The missile was fired at Israel overnight by Yemen’s Houthi rebels and intercepted by the Israel Defense Forces.

However, debris after the interception landed in Mevo Beitar, a community on the outskirts of Jerusalem, with a large piece hitting the home of Zvika and Michal Wexler, the Ynet outlet reported.

Michal explained that like millions of other Israelis, the family was woken during the night by sirens that alerted them of the missile attack. They quickly sought refuge in their safe room, a thick-walled area built into newer Israeli homes.

Michal said the family did not hear any unusual noise. Loud booms from an interception are often heard by residents on the ground, even inside sealed safe rooms.

Unbeknown to the family, a section of the Houthi missile plunged from the sky and landed on their home, smashing through the roof.

Footage shows a part of a missile fired from Yemen lodged on the roof of a house in the Israeli village of Mevo Beitar, west of Jerusalem, January 14, 2025. (Menahem Kahana / AFPTV / AFP)

“We went out in the morning as usual for a walk and we saw some debris damage” on the ground, Michal said. “Only when we looked up did we see the rocket on the roof of our house.”

A part of a missile fired from Yemen is lodged on the roof of a house in the Israeli village of Mevo Beitar west of Jerusalem on January 14, 2025 (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Zvika said the rocket section, four meters (13 feet) in length, pierced the roof but landed on top of the safe room below.

“If it had fallen on another part of the roof I don’t know how things would have ended,” he said.

According to Michal, a helpful former local security official identified the debris as a rocket section.

Screen capture from video of damage to a home in Mevo Beitar that was hit by debris from an intercepted ballistic missile fired at Israel by Houthi rebels in Yemen, January 14, 2025. (Ynet/Screen grab)

“It is not a small piece, but we didn’t hear too much during the night,” she said.

Zvika said the home is being assessed to determine if it is safe for the family to go back inside.

“Aside from the unpleasantness of having a rocket land on your head, everything is okay,” he said.

Screen capture from video of Zvika Wexler whose home was hit by debris from an intercepted ballistic missile fired at Israel by Houthi rebels in Yemen, January 14, 2025. (Ynet/Screen grab)

The Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command advises people to remain in their safe rooms or bomb shelters for 10 minutes after sirens go off as a precaution against falling debris as well as rockets, missiles and drones.

There have been a number of incidents of damage, injuries, and even death from falling debris.

Iran-backed Houthis fired two missiles at Israel Monday night and early Tuesday morning.

According to the military, the Houthis have launched some 40 ballistic missiles at Israel since fellow Iran-backed terror group Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, starting the ongoing multifront war.

Israel and Western allies have carried out several sorties against Houthi targets in Yemen, but they have failed to stem the attacks.

The Yemeni rebels have also been firing at ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden — destabilizing a vital shipping lane and prompting reprisal strikes by the United States and sometimes Britain against Houthi targets. The Houthis have pledged to continue the attacks until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.

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