The Yemeni Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the rocket attack on the central part of Israel on Saturday. It came shortly after the Israeli military said it had not intercepted a missile fired from Yemen that landed near Tel Aviv. TASR informs about it according to the AFP agency.
Iran-backed Houthis in their statement stated that the ballistic missile was aimed at a “hostile Israeli military target in the occupied area” of Tel Aviv.
The AP agency, quoting from the statement of the Israeli army, states that during the attack, 16 people were lightly injured by shrapnel from broken windows. Another 14 people suffered minor injuries when they rushed to shelters shortly before 04:00 local time after the sirens sounded.
The Saturday attack happened less than two days ago after a series of Israeli raids on the Yemeni capital Sana’a and the nearby port city of Hudaydah, which are controlled by the Houthis. The aforementioned attacks claimed nine lives and on the part of Israel, they were retaliation for the attack by the Houthis with a long-range rocket that hit the school building, reminds AP.
In addition, the Houthis claimed responsibility for Thursday’s drone attack, whose target was an unspecified military object in the central part of Israel.
Yemeni rebels have been attacking Israel with rockets and drones since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip – that is, from October 2023. In addition, they also attack ships sailing in the Red Sea. According to their explanation it is an expression of solidarity with the Palestinians and the effort to force Israel to end the military operation in Gaza.
In return, Israel has already hit several targets in Yemen – ports and energy facilities in areas controlled by the Houthis. Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric explained that in the port of Hudaydah, which is key for Yemen’s food supplies, the mentioned Thursday attacks caused considerable damage.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres points out that attacks by both sides pose the risk of further escalation in the region and also undermine diplomatic efforts by the United Nations.
