Israel says it intercepted 2 missiles launched from Yemen

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

The Israeli army said it intercepted two ballistic missiles Tuesday that were fired from Yemen, including one that triggered air raid sirens in major cities, according to the military and media sources.

The first missile prompted sirens in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Rishon LeZion, Herzliya and Lod, and other areas, the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported. The army later confirmed the missile was intercepted.

Two Israelis were injured running for shelter, the Magen David Adom emergency service said in a statement.

About two hours later, Israeli Army Radio reported a second missile launch from Yemen, which reportedly fell short before reaching Israeli territory. That strike did not activate warning sirens.

The Yemeni Houthi group claimed responsibility for launching a hypersonic ballistic missile at the Ben Gurion International Airport, saying the attack was carried out in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and “achieved its objective.”

The incident follows a series of attacks by the Houthis. On May 4, the group said it targeted with a missile the Ben Gurion Airport that reportedly injured several people and led to mass panic, according to Israeli media.

In response, the Israeli military launched extensive airstrikes on targets in Yemen, including the Sana'a International Airport, power station, and a cement factory. The strikes followed an earlier assault on the Al Hudaydah Port. The Houthis said the retaliatory strikes left seven dead and 94 wounded.

The Houthis have targeted ships passing through the Red and Arabian seas, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden since November 2023 in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where more than 52,900 people have been killed in a brutal Israeli assault since October 2023, most of them women and children.

The group halted attacks when a Gaza ceasefire was declared in January between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, but the Houthis resumed the assaults after Israel's renewed airstrikes on Gaza in March.