Missile fired from Yemen shot down after triggering sirens across central Israel
Sirens activate due to possibility of falling shrapnel as projectile intercepted with Arrow missile defense system; Houthis claim responsibility
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A ballistic missile launched from Yemen was successfully intercepted by Israeli air defenses after it triggered sirens across central Israel on Monday, the military 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, the Israel Defense Forces said.
Sirens were triggered across central Israel due to the possibility of falling shrapnel from the interception.
Yemen’s Houthis claimed to have fired two missiles at military targets in central Israel. They said one missile was a Palestine 2 and it “reached” its target. The group said the second was a Dhu al-Fiqar missile but did not describe its outcome.
The Yemeni group said the operation “successfully achieved its objectives” and it targeted several drones at Jaffa and Eilat. Israel only mentioned the intercepted surface-to-surface missile, without referring to the drones or a second missile.
The rebel group has fired over 220 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones at Israel over the past year — mostly toward the southernmost city of Eilat — saying that the attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has been battling Hamas since the terror group’s October 7 attack.
The latest attack came on the one-year anniversary of the terror onslaught.
On Thursday, the Iran-backed rebel group claimed responsibility for overnight drone attacks on central Israel. Two were shot down, while another impacted an open area, the IDF said.
The Houthis have also targeted ships traveling through the Red Sea, which once saw $1 trillion a year of cargo pass through it.
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.
Agencies contributed to this report.
