The Houthis called the attack retaliation for Israeli actions in Gaza and Sanaa, warning vessels in Bab al-Mandeb to identify or risk being targeted
Sanaa
Yemen’s Houthi group claimed responsibility for launching a hypersonic ballistic missile toward southern Tel Aviv’s Jaffa area on Thursday night, according to Yahya Sarea, the group’s military spokesman. The statement, broadcast on Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, said the strike forced a temporary halt of air traffic at Ben Gurion Airport and drove thousands of Israeli residents to shelters.
The Houthis described the attack as retaliation for Israeli “aggression” against Gaza and earlier Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. Sarea also warned that all commercial and military vessels passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea must identify themselves to Houthi forces or face attack.
Israel’s Defence Forces said their aerial defence systems intercepted the missile. The incident followed Israeli airstrikes in Sanaa that killed eight and injured 142, in response to a Houthi drone attack on the southern Israeli port city of Eilat earlier Thursday, which wounded 20 people, including two seriously. The drone strike occurred during Rosh Hashana, a busy holiday period in Eilat.
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, including Sanaa, have carried out missile and drone attacks against Israel and targeted Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea since November 2023. The recent escalation reflects deepening tensions in the region, with both sides exchanging strikes and threats.
The developments mark a dangerous expansion of the Yemen-Israel conflict, raising concerns over regional security and the stability of vital maritime routes in the Red Sea.
