Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants said on Friday they had targeted the Israeli cities of
Tel Aviv and Ashkelon along with three U.S. destroyers in the Red Sea with missiles and drones in support of Gaza and Lebanon.
The Israeli army said it had intercepted a missile fired from Yemen which had triggered sirens to sound in central Israel.
The Houthis’ military spokesperson said operations would not halt until Israel’s offensives in Gaza and Lebanon stop. The group attacked Tel Aviv with a ballistic missile and launched a drone towards Ashkelon in southern Israel, Yahya Sarea said.
“We will carry out more military operations against the Israeli enemy to triumph for the sake of our brothers’ blood in Palestine and Lebanon,” he added in a televised speech.
#USEnvoyYemen Lenderking & reps of 🇬🇧🇫🇷 🇦🇺🇩🇪🇳🇱🇯🇵🇸🇪🇪🇺 met w/@PresidentRashad Al-Alimi. The Houthis continue to block progress on peace with attacks on the Yemeni people & ships in the Red Sea. Yet we & the int’l community remain committed to advancing peace for Yemen & the region. pic.twitter.com/GMNgYqtXPD
— U.S. State Dept – Near Eastern Affairs (@StateDept_NEA) September 26, 2024
Sarea also said, in a separate televised speech, that the group had simultaneously targeted three U.S. destroyers in the Red Sea with 23 ballistic and winged missiles and a drone while the vessels were on their way to support Israel.
U.S. Navy warships going through the Bab al-Mandab Strait intercepted a number of projectiles, including missiles and drones, fired by the Houthis, a U.S. official said.
The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity and citing initial information which can change, said there was no damage to any of the three warships in the area.
In July, the Houthis fired a drone at Tel Aviv for the first time, killing a man and injuring at least 10 people. The Israeli Air Force responded by attacking Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah, causing a massive fire and six deaths.
Israeli strikes have killed more than 600 people in Lebanon since Monday, with the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah at its most intense in more than 18 years. The Houthis, who started attacking ships in the region in support of the Palestinians in Gaza, are now also demanding that Israel halt its assault on Lebanon.
Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel for almost a year in support of allied Palestinian militant group Hamas, which is fighting Israel in Gaza. More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli assault on Gaza, according to health officials there.
The war was triggered by an attack on Israel by Hamas militants who killed 1,200 people and abducted more than 250 hostages according to Israeli tallies.
(REUTERS)
