IDF intercepts missile from Yemen, two from Gaza after sirens blare across Israel
Attacks didn’t cause injuries, military says; Katz warns Houthis that ‘Yemen will be treated like Tehran’ as US envoy to Israel says ‘maybe those B2 bombers need to visit Yemen!’
The Israeli Air Force intercepted three missiles launched from Yemen and Gaza on Tuesday night, after sirens sent people across the country to seek shelter.
Sirens sounded in multiple areas, including most of Jerusalem, Ben Gurion Airport, Modiin, Rishon Lezion and some West Bank settlements, as Yemen’s Houthis fired a single ballistic missile. No injuries or damage were reported.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted the airport.
A short time earlier, sirens also sounded in the Gaza envelope after two rockets were launched from southern Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces said those rockets were also intercepted and likewise caused no injuries. Rocket fire from Gaza has become rare after 20 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas.
The Houthis — whose slogan calls for “Death to America, Death to Israel, [and] a Curse on the Jews” — are an Iranian proxy that began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas massacre.
Since March 18, when a ceasefire ended and the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have launched more than 50 ballistic missiles and at least 13 drones at Israel. Several of the missiles have fallen short.
The Houthis last fired a missile at Israel on Saturday, days after Iran and Israel reached a ceasefire in their 12-day war. After Tuesday’s missile fire, Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a warning to the Yemeni terror group.
“Yemen will be treated like Tehran. After striking the head of the snake in Tehran, we will also strike the Houthis in Yemen,” he said, adding, “Whoever raises a hand against Israel — that hand will be cut off.”
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee wrote on X that “maybe those B2 bombers need to visit Yemen!” The United States used the stealth bombers to carry out strikes early last week against several nuclear targets in Iran.
Huckabee has stated in the past that he doesn’t seek to set policy for the Trump administration, but rather aims to implement whatever the president decides.
US President Donald Trump reached an agreement with the Houthis in May whereby the US agreed to halt its attacks against the rebel group in exchange for an end to the latter’s targeting of American vessels. The deal came two days after a Houthi missile impacted within the grounds of Ben-Gurion Airport, prompting most foreign airlines to stop serving Israel. Most airlines have not returned since.
The Times of Israel Community.