DUBAI: Yemen’s Houthi group on Tuesday said it fired a “ballistic missile” at central Israel, after the Israeli military said it intercepted a “projectile”.
The group last week fired two missiles that caused damage and more than a dozen injuries in the commercial hub of Tel Aviv.
On Tuesday the Houthis said in a statement that they had targeted a military site “of the Israeli enemy in the occupied area of Yaffa with a hypersonic ballistic missile”, using the Arabic name for Jaffa, part of Tel Aviv.
Houthis said they targeted an Israeli military site in the occupied Jaffa area with a hypersonic ballistic missile.
The Israeli military earlier said it had intercepted “a projectile that was launched from Yemen”, after air raid sirens sounded in the centre and south of Israel.
It said the projectile “was intercepted prior to crossing into Israeli territory”.
According to the Israeli public broadcaster KAN, “millions of Israelis” ran to shelters after air-raid sirens were activated in central Israel.
Israel’s emergency medical service reported no injuries.
On Monday, the Yemeni group said that it launched two combat drones towards military targets in Jaffa and Ashkelon in Israel.
The attack came two days after at least 20 Israelis were injured on Saturday when a missile launched from Yemen landed in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa area in central Israel.
According to Israeli media, the Houthis have launched over 200 ballistic missiles and 170 drones at Israeli targets since the outbreak of the Gaza war last October.
The Houthis have targeted Israeli cargo ships or those associated with Israel in the Red Sea with missiles and drones in a show of support with the Gaza Strip, where over 45,338 people have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war since October 7, 2023.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Houthis over their increasing attacks.
“I have instructed our forces to destroy the infrastructure of Houthis, because anyone who tries to harm us will be struck with full force,” Netanyahu told lawmakers, “even if it takes time”.
At least nine people were killed in a series of intense Israeli air attacks on Yemen’s capital and a port city on Thursday.
Yemen’s Al Masirah TV reported seven people were killed in an Israeli attack on the port of as-Salif and the rest in two strikes on the Ras Isa oil facility; both are located in the western province of Hodeidah.
