IDF: Ballistic missile launched by Houthis from Yemen intercepted
Incoming projectile sets off sirens across central Israel; four lightly hurt as they scrambled to reach safe rooms; Iran-backed group takes responsibility
A ballistic missile launched at Israel from Yemen was successfully intercepted by air defenses outside of Israel’s borders, the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday.
Sirens were triggered across central Israel at around 6:30 a.m. Shrapnel from the interception reportedly fell within Israel. There were no reports of major damage.
Four people were lightly injured as they ran for shelter during sirens, the Magen David Adom emergency service said.
A fifth individual was treated for acute anxiety, MDA said.
The surface-to-surface missile was shot down with the Arrow defense system, which is designed to take out ballistic missiles while they are still outside the atmosphere. According to an Israeli Air Force source, the missile was shot down at a “high altitude.”
The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen later took responsibility for launching the missile.
In a statement, the group claimed to have targeted a “vital target” in central Israel. The Houthis also vowed to continue attacks on Israel until “the aggression on the Gaza Strip stops.”
Last week, Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al-Houthi said the rebels will keep up their attacks regardless of the truce that halted 14 months of conflict initiated by Hezbollah in Lebanon. The terror group says it is acting in support of fellow Iran-backed proxy Hamas in the Gaza Strip, against which Israel is waging war; the Houthis say they are attacking Israel for the same reason.
“The operations from the Yemeni front to support the Palestinian people with missiles and drones towards the Israeli enemy are continuing,” Al-Houthi said on the rebels’ Al-Masirah TV channel.
Houthi rebels, part of Iran’s “axis of resistance” against Israel and the United States, have fired over 220 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones at Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza war. That conflict began on October 7 last year when Hamas led a massive cross-border attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. The war in Gaza is still ongoing.
Israel has twice bombed Houthi targets in retaliation for its ballistic missile and drone attacks, including one that killed a man in Tel Aviv.
The Houthis have also waged a harassment campaign against shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden during the Gaza war, severely disrupting the vital trade route.
“I hope everyone in the army and among the people is aware of our responsibility, and with God’s help will do more… against the Israeli enemy,” Al-Houthi said.
“We at the Yemeni front are doing our utmost to support the Palestinian people,” he added.
They have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started last October, including seizing one vessel and sinking two in a campaign that also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels.
The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the US, or the United Kingdom to force an end to Israel’s campaign against the Hamas terror group in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.
