Israel military says Yemen missile intercepted

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said on Sunday it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen, the latest in a series of recent attacks.

“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in Talmei Elazar, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted prior to crossing into Israeli territory,” the military said in a statement posted to Telegram.

On Friday, Israel’s military said it shot down a missile and a drone launched from Yemen, where Iran-backed rebels have stepped up their attacks since a November ceasefire between Israel and another Iran-backed group, Hezbollah, in Lebanon.

Like Hezbollah – which began trading cross-border fire with Israel after Hamas’s Oct 7 2023 attack – the Houthis say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians, and have vowed to continue until there is a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

While most of the missiles and drones launched from Yemen have been intercepted, one missile wounded 16 people in Tel Aviv in December, according to Israel’s military and emergency services.

In response, the Israeli air force has struck Houthi targets in Yemen, including Sana’a International Airport.

The Houthi rebels have also been firing at ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden – destabilising a vital shipping lane and prompting reprisal strikes by the US, and sometimes Britain, against Houthi targets.

The group’s Saba news agency and Al-Masirah TV reported “three raids” on Sunday east of the city of Saada, attributing the operations to the US and Britain.