Yemen’s Houthi movement said Saturday it had launched a missile attack on Israel, opening a new front in the current regional war and marking the group’s first confirmed strike on Israeli territory since this conflict began. Reuters reported that the Israeli military said it detected a missile launched from Yemen and moved to intercept it.
Yahya Saree, a spokeswoman for the Houthi military, said on a televised statement that the group fired at what he called “sensitive Israeli military sites” in southern Israel. Israel confirmed that its air defenses intercepted the missile and that there were no immediate reports of injuries. The Associated Press said that air raid sirens went off in certain sections of southern Israel, like around Beersheba.
The strike is a significant escalation, but it wasn’t the first time the Houthis shot missiles at Israel. The Associated Press both said it was the first such attack since the start of the current Israel-Iran war, which has already expanded to many other countries in the area.
Saree said the incident happened because Iran and its allies were still fighting in the area. The Houthis told Reuters that the strike was part of a larger retaliation to strikes on Palestinian territory, Lebanon, and Iraq. They also indicated that activities would continue as long as what they called aggression continued.
With this attacks, the Houthis have moved from threats to direct action in the current war, adding another layer of uncertainty to a conflict that is already straining regional security and international trade routes.
A global media for the latest news, entertainment, music fashion, and more.
