Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebel movement said on Saturday that it had fired a ballistic missile at Israel, citing the continued military activities in Gaza by Israel as the reason for the attack.
Sirens were triggered in several parts of the country, and the missile was “most likely successfully intercepted” before it was able to inflict any damage, according to the Israeli military. It is the first reported missile attack by the Houthis since the June 24 ceasefire between Israel and Iran, after 12 days of fierce hostility.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree released a statement announcing the firing, which he labeled as a Dhu al-Fiqar ballistic missile, and said it hit a “sensitive Israeli enemy location in the occupied city of Beersheba.” Saree said that the attack was in response to what he called “crimes of the criminal Zionist enemy against civilians in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis have continued to fire missiles and drones at Israel since the attack by Hamas in October 2023 set off the current conflict in Gaza. The group temporarily ceased attacking during a two-month ceasefire earlier this year, but then resumed once Israel resumed its military campaign.
In retaliation for past attacks, Israel has made several airstrikes inside Yemen, including against Houthi-held ports and Sanaa airport, the rebel-controlled capital.
Saree underlined that the Houthis would continue their battles “until the aggression against Gaza ends and the blockade is removed.” The statement marks ongoing regional tensions in spite of recent ceasefire attempts.
The new attack reaffirms the Houthis’ dedication to backing the Palestinian cause and underlines the wider regional stakes of the conflict in Gaza, as proxy militiamen continue to raise the stakes above the immediate confines of Israel and the Palestinian territories.
