Yemen’s Houthi militia claimed responsibility for a rare rocket attack on Israel on Sunday, successfully targeting the centre of the country for the second time in two months with an Iranian-backed group.
The attack was the latest illustration of the developing conflict between Israel and Iranian proxies, who have been targeting Israeli territory in solidarity with Palestinians being bombed in Gaza.
It also demonstrated the military capabilities of the Houthis, based hundreds of miles from Israel on the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula.
The Israeli military initially said the Houthis fired a surface-to-surface missile that landed in “open area” and that no casualties were reported. In a subsequent statement, the military said initial investigations indicated that the missile “separated in mid-air” and that it was reviewing its attempts to intercept the strike.
Netanyahu’s warnings
During the weekly cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of a “heavy price to pay” after a Houthi rocket penetrated Israeli airspace early Sunday morning. He said:
“We are in a multi-front campaign against Iran’s axis of evil, which is striving for our destruction. This morning, the Houthis launched a surface-to-surface missile from Yemen at our territory. They should know that we exact a high price for any attempt to attack us.”
Sunday’s missile attack is the furthest a Houthi rocket has struck Israeli territory, and the IDF said it was investigating the incident, admitting that the interceptors launched did not work as well as expected. The IDF said in a statement:
“The initial investigation revealed that the missile most likely broke apart in mid-air.”
Several intercept attempts were made by the Arrow and Iron Dome air defence systems during the incident and the results are being examined. Sirens were switched on as per protocol. The entire incident is under review.
However, the IDF also denied that the Houthi missile was hypersonic.
Jerusalem Post senior Middle East correspondent Seth Frantzman said Sunday’s attack proves “that Iran and its proxies are undeterred.” Frantzman noted that despite the military action in Gaza, “Israel has been largely on the defensive since October 7.”
In his address to the cabinet, Prime Minister Netanyahu promised:
“The current situation will not continue.”
