A rare event that resulted in no casualties but increased regional tensions almost a year after the Gaza war began, a missile fired by the Houthi rebels in Yemen struck central Israel on Sunday. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Houthis will pay a “heavy price” for the attack that resulted in some damage and a fire near Tel Aviv, the country’s commercial centre.
After applauding the missile launch, the Palestinian organisation Hamas declared that Israel “will not enjoy security unless it ceases its brutal aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip.” When sirens sounded, Israeli medics reported that several people were “on their way to shelters” with minor injuries, and police reported that an air defence interceptor fragment had crashed east of Tel Aviv.
A civilian was killed in Tel Aviv by a Houthi drone strike in July, which broke through Israel’s complex air defences and occurred at least 1,800 kilometres away from Yemen. The rebel-controlled Hodeida port suffered severe damage and casualties as a result of the retaliatory strikes.
According to Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree, a “ballistic missile that succeeded in reaching its target” was used in Sunday’s attack. According to Israel’s military, the missile most likely broke apart in midair. The military also stated that “several interception attempts” had been made and that the findings “are under review.”
Since November, the Houthis have launched numerous missile and drone strikes on shipping in the strategically important Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea waterways off Yemen, all to undermine Israel and its alleged interests in expressing solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
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