(Reuters) – Israel’s military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen early on Thursday as hostilities with Iran-backed Houthi militants intensified.
Sirens sounded in several areas in Israel after the projectile was fired, the military said. The Israeli police said sirens were heard in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Israel’s ambulance service said no serious injuries were reported.
Yemen’s Houthi militants, who have yet to claim responsibility for the missile strike, appeared unfazed by the waves of U.S. strikes carried out since Saturday and have vowed to escalate their attacks, including those targeting Israel, in response to the U.S. campaign.
“A missile launched from Yemen was intercepted by the IAF prior to crossing into Israeli territory. Sirens were sounded in accordance with protocol,” the Israeli military said in a statement, referring to its air force.
U.S. strikes which began on Saturday over the Houthis’ attacks against Red Sea shipping are the biggest U.S. military operation in the Middle East since President Donald Trump took office in January. The U.S. attacks have killed at least 31 people.
Trump also threatened to hold Iran accountable for any future Houthi attacks, warning of severe consequences. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the Houthis were independent and took their own strategic and operational decisions.
On Tuesday, the Houthis said they had fired a ballistic missile towards Israel and would expand their range of targets in that country in coming days in retaliation for renewed Israeli airstrikes in Gaza after weeks of relative calm.
The Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on shipping since Israel’s war with Hamas began in late 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Gaza’s Palestinians.
The attacks have disrupted global commerce and prompted the U.S. military to launch a costly campaign to intercept missiles.
The Houthis are part of what has been called the “Axis of Resistance” – an anti-Israel and anti-Western alliance of regional militias including Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and armed groups in Iraq, all backed by Iran.
(Reporting by Hatem Maher; Editing by Kim Coghill and Michael Perry)
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