Houthis fired ballistic missile with cluster bomb warhead at Israel for 1st time on Friday, air force probe finds

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

A fragment of a Houthi missile that broke apart and fell in Ginaton, August 22, 2025. (Ynet screenshot)
A fragment of a Houthi missile that broke apart and fell in Ginaton, August 22, 2025. (Ynet screenshot)

An Israeli Air Force investigation into Friday night’s ballistic missile attack from Yemen has found that for the first time, the Houthis used a projectile with a cluster bomb warhead.

One of the munitions struck the yard of a home in the central town of Ginaton, causing slight damage.

The military says that the failure to intercept the projectile is under investigation and is unrelated to the type of warhead the missile was carrying.

“The air defense systems, with an emphasis on the upper layer, are capable of dealing with and intercepting such missiles, as they have intercepted in the past,” the IDF says.

Iran launched ballistic missiles with cluster bomb warheads at Israel at least twice during the 12-day war in June. The Houthis in Yemen are supplied by Iran.

Most Popular
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.