Missile from Yemen hits central Israel

The Iran-aligned Houthis who control northern Yemen yesterday hit central Israel with a missile for the first time and promised more strikes to come in solidarity with the Palestinians.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the group struck with a new hypersonic ballistic missile that travelled 2,040 km in just 11 1/2 minutes. Israel’s military said the missile fell in an open area and nobody was hurt.
Air raid sirens had sounded in Tel Aviv and across central Israel moments before the missile landed at around 6:35 am local time, sending residents running for shelter. Loud booms were heard, which the military said came from missile interceptors.
“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in central Israel, a surface-to-surface missile was identified crossing into central Israel from the east and fell in an open area. No injuries were reported,” the Israeli military said.
Reuters saw smoke billowing in an open field in central Israel, though it was not immediately possible to determine if the fire was caused by the missile or interceptor debris.
The Houthis have fired missiles at Israel repeatedly in what they say is solidarity with the Palestinians, since the Gaza offensive began with a Hamas attack on Israel in October.
Previously, Houthi missiles have not penetrated deep into Israeli air space, with the only one reported to have hit Israeli territory falling in an open area near the Red Sea port of Eilat in March.
Hamas yesterday vowed that Israel “will not enjoy security” unless it ends its offensive in Gaza.
Apart from missiles, the Houthis have also attacked Israel with drones, including one that hit Tel Aviv for the first time in July, killing a man and wounding four people. That attack prompted Israeli air strikes on Houthi military targets near the port of Hodeidah that killed six and wounded 80.
The Israeli military also said that 40 projectiles were fired towards Israel from Lebanon yesterday and were either intercepted or landed in open areas.
In Gaza, civil defence agency yesterday reported at least three people killed in central Gaza and another around Gaza City when Israeli air strikes hit. Five Palestinians were killed after a school-turned-shelter for displaced civilians was hit by a missile in Gaza City.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said yesterday that at least 41,206 people have been killed since the Israeli offensive began in October, now in its 12th month. The toll includes 24 deaths in the previous 24 hours, reports AFP.
Months of effort by Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators have failed to secure a truce and hostage release deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is facing rising anger from critics who accuse him of not doing enough to get the captives home.
On Saturday thousands of people once more took to the streets of Israel’s main cities to push the government for a deal.