The escalation takes place after the collapse of the Gaza ceasefire
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that they have intercepted a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. According to Israeli media, it was the first such attack in two months.
“The missile was intercepted before crossing into the country’s territory. Sirens were activated in accordance with protocol,” the IDF wrote on X on early Thursday morning.
The Houthi military spokesman, Ameen Hayyan, said that the missile was fired at Ben Gurion International Airport.
The Houthis control a large part of western Yemen, including its capital, Sanaa. The group has been carrying out attacks on international shipping and launching missiles at Israel in response to the IDF’s operation against Hamas in Gaza.
Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump ordered a series of airstrikes and cruise missile barrages against Houthi sites. On Wednesday, he warned that the group “will be completely annihilated.”
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the militants, vowed to continue the attack on behalf of the Palestinians. “We will do everything we can against the Israeli enemy and to support the Palestinian people. We will confront any American support [for Israel] that will involve targeting our country,” he said, according to the news website The New Arab.
The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel collapsed this week after the sides failed to agree on the next phase of the truce. The IDF resumed airstrikes in Gaza on Tuesday and has since continued its ground offensive, taking control of the Netzarim Corridor just south of Gaza City.
