The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on social media on Sunday that Israeli forces had intercepted a surface-to-surface missile fired from Yemen.
The missiles did not enter Israeli territory but a “rocket and missile launch warning” was issued due to the risk of falling debris on residents, the IDF said. The missiles approached Israel from the Red Sea, the IDF said.
It was not immediately clear who fired the missiles, but a Houthi military spokesman promised to retaliate for Israeli airstrikes on the rebel-held Yemeni port city of Hodeidah on Saturday. Spokesman Yahya Saree said the Israeli airstrikes hit the port, a power plant and fuel tanks.
Saleh said Sunday that the group had fired “numerous missiles” at targets in the southern Israeli port city of Eilat. It was not immediately clear whether the two reported attacks were the same. The Israel Defense Forces said early Sunday that air defense alerts had been sounded in the Eilat area.
Saturday’s Israeli attack was in retaliation for a rare drone attack on Tel Aviv on Friday that was claimed by the Houthis, killing one person and hitting just metres from the US Embassy compound.
An Israel Defense Forces official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations, told reporters on Sunday that the airstrikes in Yemen were carried out using more than a dozen aircraft, including fighter jets and tankers. The “long-range” attacks struck targets about 1,050 miles (1,700 kilometers) from Israel, the official said.
A massive blaze broke out after Israeli attacks on the port of Hodeidah, a key hub for imports to the impoverished country, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said was being used as “an entry point for lethal weapons supplied by Iran to the Houthis.”
On July 20, Israel carried out airstrikes on the Houthi-controlled Yemeni city of Hodeidah after the rebels claimed responsibility for a drone attack on Tel Aviv. (Video: Associated Press)
Netanyahu said Israel’s response to the drone attack “made it clear to our enemies that there is no place that the long arm of the State of Israel cannot reach.”
Get caught up in
Stories to keep you up to date
Since the Gaza war began in October, the Houthis have begun attacking shipping off the Yemeni coast in an attempt to pressure Israel to end its military operations in the Gaza Strip. A US-led naval task force has responded to the attacks but has been unable to completely stop them.
Other things to know
Netanyahu is due to visit Washington this week to address a joint session of Congress. The Israeli prime minister was due to meet with President Biden, who announced on Sunday that he would not seek reelection. Biden said he would continue to serve as president for the remainder of his term, but it was not immediately clear whether Tuesday’s summit would take place.Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said Israel’s attacks in Yemen “exacerbate current tensions in the region” and called on both sides to “exercise utmost restraint.” Riyadh, which has been fighting a years-long war with the Houthis, said on Sunday it was following recent military developments in Yemen with “great concern.”Israeli forces continue to operate in the Gaza Strip, the IDF said. In the Rafah area, Israeli troops found “mortar shells ready to be fired,” adding that Israeli aircraft had identified rebel groups that the IDF had “eliminated.” The army also located and dismantled tunnels and underground infrastructure in the Tal al-Sultan area, the IDF said. In the central Gaza Strip, the IDF said it found “various types of weapons.”The Gaza Health Ministry says at least 38,983 people have been killed and 89,727 wounded in Gaza since the war began. The ministry did not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but said the majority of the dead were women and children. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people, including more than 300 soldiers, were killed in the October 7 Hamas attack, and that 326 of its soldiers have been killed since the start of its military operations in Gaza.