Israeli authorities have confirmed that it has activated its defence systems after coming under attack from a missile launched at the country from Yemen as tensions boil over in the Middle East
A missile has been launched at Israel from Yemen with defence systems activated to try and block the threat, authorities have confirmed.
“The IDF has identified that a missile was launched from Yemen into Israeli territory. Defense systems are working to intercept the threat. Action must be taken according to Home Front Command guidelines,” an IDF spokesperson said. The missile triggered air raid sirens in Jerusalem and other areas and there have been no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
It comes after Ben Gurion Airport in Israel came under attack from Yemen at the start of this month by Iranian-backed rebels. Images showed the impact from a ballistic missile with black smoke bellowing across the sky after it hit a road near the airport’s perimeter.
Eyewitness footage showed missile fragments landing nearby, forcing the airport to halt all flights, and at least one person was injured, according to authorities. They were reportedly standing in the airport car park at the time of the missile blast. On that occasion several attempts were made by the IDF to intercept the missile.
Israel promised a quick response and it launched a rare daytime attack on May 6 on the Yemen capital Sanaa, held by the country’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Strikes destroyed an airport terminal and left craters on its runway in the city, according to Khaled al-Shaif, the head of the airport. At least six passenger planes were hit, including three belonging to the national carrier, Yemen Airway or Yemenia, he said.
The Houthis have targeted Israel throughout its war with the militant Hamas group in Gaza, in solidarity with Palestinians there, while also targeting commercial and naval vessels on the Red Sea.
The attacks have raised the Houthis’ profile at home and internationally as the last member of Iran’s self-described “Axis of Resistance” capable of launching regular attacks on Israel.
Since mid-March, the US military under President Donald Trump launched an intensified campaign of daily airstrikes targeting the Houthis. The two sides reached a deal to halt the US campaign in return for the Houthis halting their attacks on shipping.
But the US-Houthis deal has not stopped the rebels’ missile and drone attacks on Israel, which in turn has responded with strikes on Yemen’s Red Sea ports held by the Houthis.
The Israeli military said it struck the Hodeida and Salif ports on May 16, claiming that the Houthis were using the two facilities to transfer weapons. The Houthi-run health ministry said at least one person was killed and 11 others were wounded.