Yemen’s Houthis fire missile, drone at Israel; missile breaks up mid-air; no injuries

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired a drone and a ballistic missile at Israel on Friday, the military said. The drone was downed after several failed interceptions on Friday afternoon, while the missile apparently broke up in mid-air during its descent some four and a half hours later.

There were no injuries reported in either incident, and a missile fragment caused minor damage after it struck a yard of a home in a central town.

The drone set off sirens in several communities near the borders with the Gaza Strip and Egypt. The military said it made several attempts to shoot it down before successfully intercepting it with the Iron Dome air defense system.

Footage showed the drone exploding in the air over southern Israel, while a fighter jet swooped past.

Shortly before 9 p.m., the Houthis fired a missile that set off warning sirens across much of central Israel as many were sitting down for the Friday evening Shabbat meal.

The IDF confirmed that the missile likely broke up in the air during its descent.

The Israeli Air Force launched several interceptor missiles to shoot down the fragments, the military said, adding that the results of the interceptions were under investigation.

At least one missile fragment struck the yard of a home in the central town of Ginaton, causing minor damage.

The Magen David Adom rescue service said there were no reports of injuries.

The Houthis took responsibility for carrying out both the ballistic missile and drone attacks.

In a statement, the Iran-backed terror group claimed to have successfully hit Ben Gurion Airport with the ballistic missile.

The Houthis also claimed to have launched two drones at Israel, targeting “Israeli enemy targets” in the Tel Aviv area and in Ashkelon.

While the IDF shot down the first drone in the south, a second, if fired, likely fell short before reaching the country, as many Houthi drones have in recent months.

The incidents were the latest in ongoing Houthi attacks on Israel.

On Sunday, they fired a ballistic missile, claiming to have targeted Ben Gurion Airport.

The missile set off sirens in central Israel and the Jerusalem area, forcing millions of Israelis to seek cover before it was shot down without causing injury or damage.

The missile fire came hours after the Israeli Navy launched strikes against a power plant south of Sanaa, the Houthi-controlled capital of Yemen.

The Houthis — whose slogan calls for “Death to America, Death to Israel, [and] a Curse on the Jews” — began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas massacre.

The Houthis held their fire during a ceasefire that 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 71 ballistic missiles and at least 23 drones at Israel. Several of the missiles have fallen short.