Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia claimed on Sunday that a ballistic missile had been fired at Israel and announced that more attacks would follow.
Houthis military spokesman Yehya Saree said the attack was carried out with a new hypersonic ballistic missile aimed at an Israeli military target in Jaffa.
“The estimated distance of 2,040 kilometers was covered in 11:30 minutes,” he said in a televised statement.
“The Israeli enemy can expect more attacks and specific operations,” he added.
The Houthis have claimed several attacks on Israel since the war in Gaza broke out in October last year.
Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military reported that a ballistic missile fired from Yemen had been intercepted.
The surface-to-surface missile came from the east and landed in an open area, the Israeli military said, sounding warning sirens in the center of the country.
According to the military, explosive sounds were heard in the early hours of the morning as a result of the interception of the missile. The military indicated that it is still evaluating the outcome.
According to the Jerusalem Post daily, the ballistic missile was fired at the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.
The Arrow 3 missile defense system apparently failed to intercept the projectile before it entered the atmosphere. Only on the second attempt did the Arrow 2 defense system succeed in hitting it over Israeli airspace.
According to media reports, rocket fragments landed in various parts of the country, including the cities of Modiin and Rehovot. Israel has a multi-layered missile defense system.
Following a deadly drone attack on Tel Aviv by the Houthis earlier this year, the Israeli air force struck the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah in July, causing a massive fire and killing six people. The Houthi leader subsequently announced a new phase in the fight against Israel.
The Houthi militants have also attacked ships in the Red Sea and said they want an end to Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, which follow unprecedented massacres by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement in Israel during the October 7 attack.