A Houthi missile from Yemen hit central Israel for the first time on Sunday but caused no injuries.
Missile Hit An Unpopulated Area
The missile hit an unpopulated area.
Air raid sirens had sounded in Tel Aviv and across central Israel moments before the missile landed at around 6:35 a.m. local time (0335 GMT).
Residents ran for shelter.
Loud booms were heard, which the military said came from missile interceptors.
Missile Identified Crossing Into Central Israel
The military said that following the sirens in central Israel, a surface-to-surface missile was identified crossing into central Israel from the east.
It fell in an open area but no injuries were reported.
The deputy head of the Houthi’s media office, Nasruddin Amer, said in a post on X on Sunday that a Yemeni missile had reached Israel after “20 missiles failed to intercept” it.
He described it as the “beginning”.
In a statement on Telegram, the group said its military spokesman would soon give details about a “qualitative operation that targeted the depth of the Zionist entity”.
Reuters saw smoke billowing in an open field in central Israel.
It was not immediately possible to determine if the fire was caused by the missile or interceptor debris.
The Strike On Sunday
Sunday’s strike appears to be the first time the Houthis have penetrated deep into Israeli airspace with a missile.
They have fired at Israel several times since the outbreak of the Gaza war last October in what they describe as solidarity with the Palestinians.
Most such missiles have been shot down although one hit an open area near Israel’s Red Sea port of Eilat in March.
A Houthi Drone Reached Tel Aviv
In July, a Houthi drone reached Tel Aviv, killing one man and wounding four others.
That attack, the first from abroad to target Tel Aviv with a drone, prompted Israel to carry out a major air strike on Houthi military targets near Yemen’s Hodeidah port.
The air strike killed six people and wounded 80.
Projectiles Fired Towards Israel
The Israeli military also said that 40 projectiles were fired towards Israel from Lebanon on Sunday and were either intercepted or landed in open areas.
The military said that no injuries were reported.
(With Inputs From Reuters)
