In first, Houthi ballistic missile triggers sirens in Haifa; IDF says intercepted
No reports of damage or direct injuries after projectile fired from Yemen; military acknowledges malfunction of new early warning system
A ballistic missile fired at Israel by the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen set off sirens early Wednesday morning in the north of the country for the first time, sending over a million people rushing for the safety of bomb shelters.
The Israel Defense Forces said the missile was successfully intercepted by air defenses.
Sirens sounded as a precaution against falling missile and interceptor debris, which has in the past caused injuries and even death.
Sirens went off at 4 a.m. in Haifa and the surrounding area, as well as the Western Galilee region. Explosions from the interceptions were heard in Haifa and the Sharon region.
The Houthis later claimed to have fired the missile at a “vital Zionist enemy target” in Haifa. They also claimed to have launched a drone at a target in the Tel Aviv area, although there were no reports of drones reaching Israel from Yemen overnight.
The Magen David Adom ambulance service reported no direct injuries from the missile attack or impacts from debris, but said paramedics treated a number of people who were injured while rushing for shelter.
The Israel Police said officers were ready to look for fallen debris if any was reported to its emergency call center. Police warned the public not to approach any debris as it may contain explosives.
The military recently deployed a new system to alert civilians of long-range missile attacks via a push notification on their phones, 3-5 minutes before sirens sound. It was used in the early-morning attack, though the early alert was received very shortly before the sirens sounded.
The IDF acknowledged that there were delays in issuing the early warning, saying that there were no issues with detecting the missile, but a “malfunction occurred in the transmitting of information” from the Israeli Air Force to the Home Front Command.
“The issue was addressed, but the information was transmitted partially and with a delay,” the military said.
“As a result, the preliminary directives were activated at shorter intervals than required,” the IDF added.
The new system was used for the first time on Friday morning during the last attack by the Iran-backed Houthis. That assault set off sirens across central Israel, including parts of Jerusalem. The IDF successfully intercepted that missile, too.
At the time, some Israelis reported that they did not receive the early alert. The IDF acknowledged that the early warning system did not work correctly in some areas, resulting in civilians not receiving the notification.
Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched more than 20 ballistic missiles and several drones at Israel. Only half of the missiles set off sirens in the country and were shot down, while the others fell short.
Wednesday’s attack was the first time that sirens sounded in the Haifa region since a ceasefire with the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah took effect in November, ending more than a year of fighting, which began a day after fellow Iran-backed terror group Hamas stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages, sparking the war in Gaza.
The Houthis — whose slogan is “Death to America, Death to Israel, a Curse on the Jews” — began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas attack.
The Houthis held their fire when a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas in January 2025. By that point, they had fired some 40 ballistic missiles and several attack drones at Israel, including one that killed a civilian and wounded several others in Tel Aviv in July. Israel carried out several strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen in response to the attacks.
The Gaza ceasefire collapsed in March, with Israel resuming its attacks on Hamas and the Houthis resuming their missile attacks at Israel.
In recent weeks, the United States has led the charge against the Houthis, with a series of massive airstrikes against its leadership and infrastructure.
Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis are all avowed to destroy Israel.
The Times of Israel Community.