Houthis hit central Israel with ballistic missile, Netanyahu vows retaliation

Jerusalem, Sep 15 (EFE).- Iran-backed Houthi militants launched a ballistic missile that struck central Israel on Sunday, prompting a stern warning from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed that those responsible would «pay a heavy price.»

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea claimed that the «supersonic ballistic missile» struck a military site in Tel Aviv after Israeli defenses failed to intercept it.

“The operation was carried out using a new supersonic ballistic missile that successfully reached its target, with Israeli defenses unable to intercept or respond,» Sarea said in a statement.

He added the missile traveled 2,040 km in 11 minutes and 30 seconds, causing «fear and panic among Israelis,» who, according to him, «ran to shelters for the first time in history.» The spokesperson did not specify the extent of the damage caused.

Sarea framed the attack as part of the fifth phase of the Shia militant group’s military campaign against Israel, which is linked to the war in Gaza.

He described it as «the culmination of efforts to develop missile technology to meet the challenges posed by the Zionist enemy.»

He also reaffirmed the Houthis’ commitment to supporting the Palestinian people with more operations as the first anniversary of the Gaza war approaches.

The Israeli army confirmed in a statement that it had identified a ballistic missile fired from Yemen that «traveled toward central Israel and landed in an open space.»

The army statement said explosions were heard, likely caused by interceptor missiles, though the army stated that «the result of these interceptions is under investigation.»

Following the attack, Netanyahu issued a direct warning to the Houthis, referencing a previous Israeli airstrike on Yemen’s Hodeida port.

«This morning, the Houthis launched a surface-to-surface missile from Yemen into our territory. They should know that we charge a heavy price for any attempt to harm us,» Netanyahu said during a cabinet meeting.

In a prior incident on July 19, a Houthi-launched drone hit a building in Tel Aviv, killing one person and injuring eight others. The attack occurred without anti-aircraft alarms sounding, which Israel attributed to the type of drone used by the Houthis.

In addition to direct attacks on Israel, the Houthis have launched dozens of strikes on merchant ships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea since mid-November 2023. These operations are intended to exert economic pressure on Israel in retaliation for its ongoing war in Gaza. EFE

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