Yemeni Missile Strikes Tel Aviv, Say Israel and Houthis

A missile fired from Yemen hit Tel Aviv early on Saturday, marking a rare failure in the city’s missile defense system. Israeli authorities confirmed that the missile landed in the southern Jaffa area of Tel Aviv. Despite air defense efforts, the missile was not intercepted, and sirens sounded before the impact. Emergency services reported that more than a dozen people sustained minor injuries, primarily from broken glass, but no fatalities occurred.

The Houthis in Yemen, backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that they launched a hypersonic ballistic missile, named “Palestine 2,” which accurately struck its target. At least 16 people were treated for minor injuries, while others sought shelter or suffered panic-related symptoms. One resident described the explosion as terrifying, with windows shattered in nearby buildings.

Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial and diplomatic hub, is rarely hit by direct missile strikes due to the country’s advanced air defense system. However, since the war with Hamas began in October 2023, Israel has faced missile attacks from other Iran-backed groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. Most of these missiles have been intercepted by Israel’s defense systems.

The Houthis have been targeting ships in the Red Sea in response to the ongoing Gaza conflict, and their attacks, alongside those from Hamas and Hezbollah, are part of a broader Iran-led alliance. This coalition has vowed to continue striking Israel and its allies until a ceasefire is achieved in Gaza. The attacks intensified following Hamas’s deadly assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the ongoing conflict.