At least 18 Israelis were injured early today while rushing to shelters in Tel Aviv following a missile launch from Yemen.
In a statement, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced that the Yemeni Armed Forces had conducted coordinated military operations against Israeli targets, including a hypersonic ballistic missile strike and drone assaults.
According to Saree, the Rocket Force launched a missile dubbed “Palestine 2” at Ben Gurion Airport in Jaffa. “The missile successfully hit its target despite the enemy’s efforts to maintain secrecy, resulting in casualties and halting airport operations,” Saree claimed.
The statement also detailed an attack by the Drone Air Force, which reportedly targeted a critical Israeli military facility in the same area, describing the operation as “successful.”
In a separate operation, the Houthis targeted the Israeli vessel Santa Ursula in the Arabian Sea, east of Socotra Island, with multiple drones. Saree stated the strike was “direct and precise” and described it as retaliation for the vessel’s alleged violation of a maritime ban on entering occupied Palestinian ports.
According to the Israelis, emergency services reported no direct injuries or material damage from the Houthi missile but confirmed that 18 individuals were hurt during the rush to shelters.
The Israeli army said the missile was intercepted before entering Israeli airspace, with alarm sirens sounding across central areas of the country, including the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
Following the missile launch, several flights from Europe to Ben Gurion International Airport were delayed with landing operations resuming approximately 30 minutes later.
On Thursday evening, the Houthis reported that Israeli airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport and Al-Hudaydah province killed six people and injured 40 others.
The latest strikes are part of a pattern of Israeli military action in Yemen this year. On July 20, Israeli airstrikes on Al Hudaydah Port are said to have killed dozens and caused significant material losses, estimated by Houthi officials at $20 million.
On Sept. 29, Israeli forces conducted widespread airstrikes on western Yemen, including Al Hudaydah and Ras Isa ports.
Most recently, on Dec. 19, Israel targeted power stations in Sanaa, Al Hudaydah, Salif, and Ras Isa, resulting in nine deaths, three injuries, and severe infrastructure damage. The strikes left hundreds of thousands without electricity.
The Houthis have targeted Israel, as well as Israeli-linked shipping and naval vessels in the Red Sea, in solidarity with the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has killed more than 45,300 people since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.
The US and UK have also been bombing Houthi targets in Yemen.
