Houthis fire two ballistic missiles at Israel, IDF says both intercepted
No injuries or damage in latest attacks from Yemen, less than a week after Israeli Air Force bombed ports controlled by the Iran-backed group
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Two ballistic missiles launched at Israel by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on Thursday were intercepted by air defenses, the military said.
There were no reports of direct injuries or damage in the attack, though the Magen David Adom emergency service said one person was lightly injured while dashing to a shelter during the first attack.
The first missile set off sirens at around 3 a.m. in central Israel, including in Tel Aviv, sending nearly a million residents scrambling to bomb shelters. Preceding the sirens by some four minutes, an early warning was issued to residents, alerting them of the long-range missile attack via a push notification on their phones.
The Israel Defense Forces said air defenses successfully intercepted the missile.
Video shared on social media purported to show the interception.
Shortly before noon, the Houthis launched a second missile at Israel, which the IDF also said was intercepted.
The second missile set off sirens in the Jerusalem area, southern West Bank settlements, and communities near the Dead Sea. An early warning was also issued via the IDF Home Front Command’s mobile app.
ניר דבורי: ניסיון יירוט הטיל מתימן בשמי ישראל pic.twitter.com/wOVYD5trUK
— חדשות המוקד (@hamoked_il) May 22, 2025
The Houthis took responsibility for both missile attacks, saying it had targeted Ben Gurion Airport. The Iran-backed group also claimed to have launched two drones at Israel overnight. There were no reports of drones reaching Israel from Yemen in the past day.
On Friday, the Israeli Air Force struck the Houthi-controlled Hodeida and Salif ports in Yemen in response to the Iran-backed group’s repeated attacks on Israel.
The Houthis vowed to respond.
Earlier this month, a Houthi missile slipped through air defenses and landed in the grounds of Ben Gurion Airport, injuring six people, none of them seriously. A slew of international carriers promptly halted services to Israel, though some have since said they will resume operations.
Israel responded to that attack with strikes on Sanaa airport, causing an estimated $500 million worth of damage. On Saturday, some flights to the Yemeni airport resumed.
The Houthis — whose slogan calls for “Death to America, Death to Israel, [and] a Curse on the Jews” — began attacking Israel and general maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas massacre.
The Houthis held their fire when a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas in January 2025. By that point, they had fired over 40 ballistic missiles and dozens of attack drones and cruise missiles at Israel, including one that killed a civilian and wounded several others in Tel Aviv in July, prompting Israel’s first strike in Yemen.
Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched 37 ballistic missiles and at least 10 drones at Israel. Several of the missiles have fallen short.
The Times of Israel Community.