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Missile fired from Yemen hits Israel, injures 16

December 21, 2024

A missile fired from Yemen struck an area of ​​Tel Aviv overnight, lightly injuring 16 people. The attack came less than two days after a series of Israeli airstrikes on Yemen.

https://p.dw.com/p/4oSCT
Israeli emergency services work at the scene of a missile strike that, according to Israel's military, was launched from Yemen and landed in Jaffa, south of Tel Aviv, Israel
Since the beginning of the Gaza war, the Houthi rebels have been firing missiles and drones at IsraelImage: Itai Ron/REUTERS

Israeli emergency services said on Saturday that 16 people were injured when a rocket fired from Yemen hit Tel Aviv overnight. An attempt to intercept the rocket had failed, according to the Israeli military.

Yemen's Houthi rebels later claimed responsibility for the strike, their second such attack in a matter of days. They said it was carried out with a ballistic missile and targeted "a military target of the Israeli enemy."

The Israeli rescue service Magen David Adom reported that 16 people suffered minor injuries from broken glass windows and were receiving medical treatment.

US forces strike Houthi targets in Sanaa 

Later on Saturday, the US military's Central Command, or CENTCOM, said it had struck Houthi targets in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.

"US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted precision airstrikes against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthis within Houthi-controlled territory in Sanaa, Yemen," CENTCOM said online. 

It also said US forces shot down multiple one-way drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea during the operation. 

"The strike reflects CENTCOM's ongoing commitment to protect U.S. and coalition personnel, regional partners, and international shipping," the regional military command said.

Houthi attacks on Israel

Saturday's strike against Israel came just two days after the Houthi rebels fired a missile at Israel that damaged a school. In return, Israel bombed ports in Yemen and the country's capital, Sanaa killing at least 9 people.

The Iran-backed Houthis have launched repeated rocket attacks on Israel in solidarity with Palestinians since the Gaza war began over a year ago, most of which have been intercepted.

According to the Times of Israel newspaper, the Houthis have fired about 200 rockets and 170 drones at Israel in the past 12 months. The Houthis have also attacked ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Torn apart — Yemen in the grip of the Houthi militia

Netanyahu vows repercussions

Soon after retaliating for Thursday's attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Houthis of severe repercussions.

"After Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Assad regime in Syria, the Houthis are almost the last remaining arm of Iran's axis of evil," he said in a statement. "The Houthis are learning and will learn the hard way, that those who strike Israel will pay a very heavy price for it."

dh/sms (AFP, AP, dpa)