Yemen's Houthis Claim Missile Fired at Israel
Armed members of Yemeni tribes take part in an anti-American and anti-Israeli rally on the outskirts of Houthi-controlled Sanaa on January 16, 2025. ©Mohammed Huwais / AFP

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis said they fired a ballistic missile towards Israel on Saturday in response to Israel's conduct towards Palestinians during the Gaza war.

In Israel, warning sirens sounded in several areas before the army announced the "missile was most likely successfully intercepted."

It was the first missile launch against Israel announced by the Houthis since the June 24 ceasefire between Israel and Iran, which followed their 12-day war.

In a statement, military spokesman Yahya Saree said the Houthis had fired at a "sensitive Israeli enemy target in the occupied area of Beersheba using a Dhu al-Fiqar ballistic missile."

The attack was in "response to the crimes of the criminal Zionist enemy against civilians in the Gaza Strip," Saree added.

The Houthis have launched repeated missile and drone attacks against Israel since their Palestinian ally Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war.

The Iran-backed Houthis, who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians, paused their attacks during a two-month ceasefire that ended in March but renewed them after Israel resumed its offensive.

Israel has carried out several retaliatory strikes in Yemen, targeting Houthi-held ports and the airport in the Houthi-held capital Sanaa.

Saree said the Houthi administration would "continue its supportive operations until the aggression against Gaza stops and the siege is lifted."

AFP

 

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