A missile launched by Yemen’s Huthi rebels struck central Israel on Sunday, marking a rare escalation amid the nearly year-long Gaza war. The attack caused no casualties but intensified regional tensions.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the Iran-backed Huthis would face serious repercussions for the strike, which started a fire and caused minor damage near Tel Aviv. “They will pay a heavy price for any attempt to harm us,” Netanyahu declared.
The Palestinian group Hamas, whose October 7 assault initiated the war, praised the missile strike, declaring that Israel “will not enjoy security unless it ceases its brutal aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip.”
While no direct injuries were reported, Israeli medics confirmed that several people sustained minor injuries while rushing to shelters as air-raid sirens blared across the region. In Modiin, southeast of Tel Aviv, glass was shattered at a train station, and police reported that a fragment of an air-defense interceptor had fallen nearby.
The Huthis, claiming their missile targeted an Israeli “military position,” are one of several Iran-backed groups increasingly drawn into the Gaza conflict. Rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Huthi confirmed the attack involved a ballistic missile that allegedly breached Israeli defenses. However, Israeli authorities indicated that the missile likely disintegrated mid-air during an interception attempt.
In July, the Huthis launched a drone strike that penetrated Israel’s air defenses, killing a civilian in Tel Aviv and leading to Israeli retaliatory strikes on Hodeida port, a key rebel-controlled site in Yemen. The Huthis have since launched numerous attacks on Israeli interests, including missile and drone strikes disrupting vital shipping lanes off Yemen.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high on Israel’s northern border, where clashes between Israeli forces and Lebanon’s Hezbollah continue. Despite warnings from Hezbollah, its deputy leader Naim Qassem stated that the group has “no intention of going to war” but warned of significant losses if one broke out.
As the Gaza war rages on, Israeli airstrikes on Sunday killed at least 15 people in central and northern Gaza, according to Palestinian sources. The death toll in Gaza has now exceeded 41,200, while the October 7 Hamas attack resulted in over 1,200 Israeli deaths.
Negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release have made little progress, with Netanyahu facing growing pressure from the Israeli public to secure the return of captives still held by Hamas.
