Iran-backed Houthis have escalated their terrorist offensive against Israel by launching long-range missiles and drones. On Monday night, Israeli air defenses intercepted another ballistic missile fired by the Yemen-based Islamic terrorist group.
“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago, a projectile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted prior to crossing into Israeli territory,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement early morning Tuesday. “Rocket and missile sirens were sounded following the possibility of falling shrapnel from the interception.”
No injuries were reported from the Houthi missile strike, and the projectile was shot down before it could enter the Israeli airspace, the local media reported. On Saturday night, dozens of Israeli civilians were injured when a Houthi missile struck a playground near Tel Aviv.
“According to a military source, the projectile was shot down using the long-range Arrow air defense system, which is designed to take out ballistic missiles outside of the atmosphere,” The Times of Israel reported Tuesday. “The Magen David Adom emergency medical service [the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross] said it did not receive any reports of injuries due to fallen missile or interceptor fragments.”
Following the foiled missile strike, Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed to “take care of the Houthi leaders” the way Israel deals with the terrorist leadership of Hamas and Hezbollah, the Israeli news website Arutz Sheva reported:
Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday morning visited the Arrow missile defense system, together with the commander of the IAF’s aerial defense system, Brigadier General Gilad Biran.The Arrow battery visited is the same one which successfully intercepted a ballistic missile launched by the Yemeni Houthis on Monday night.During the visit, Katz received briefings from several commanders in the center.”I am here today to praise you for the successful interception of the advanced missile launched yesterday by the Houthi terror group in Yemen,” Katz said.”The State of Israel has the best aerial defense system in the world, and we know that we have whom to rely on. Millions rely on you, awakening to the sound of sirens, but knowing that there are those who will deal with the threat. We will not make peace with the fact that the Houthis continue firing towards the State of Israel. I have warned and said: Just like we took care of [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar in Gaza, and [Hamas leader Ismail] Haniyeh in Tehran, and [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah in Beirut – we will take care of the Houthi leaders in Sana’a and in every other place in Yemen.”He stressed, “We will also act against their infrastructure and against them, in order to remove the threat and cancel the threats against the State of Israel, so that we can achieve our goals. Whoever sponsors Houthi terror in Al Hudaydah or in Sana’a will pay the full price.”
The Houthis admitted stepping up their aerial offensive against Israel. “This marks the third time the Houthis launched ballistic missiles at Israel in the past week,” the British daily Telegraph reported Tuesday. “Hezam al-Asad, a senior Houthi official, issued a statement shortly after saying the missile attacks on Israel will continue until the war in Gaza stops.”
Emboldened by the Hamas-led October 7 massacre, the Houthis opened hostilities against Israel, launching hundreds of missiles and drones at a country 1,000 miles away from their border. “Israel’s military says about 400 missiles and drones have since been launched at the country from Yemen, most of which have been intercepted,” the BBC noted earlier this week.
Since October 7, 2023, the Iran-sponsored terrorist group has also been trying to impose an illegal embargo on Israel by attacking and hijacking Western-owned ships in the Red Sea. “Houthis have so far conducted over one hundred attacks against commercial ships and warships since November 2023, announcing new shipping restrictions at every stage of their campaign,” the Washington Institute think tanks reported on December 18.
The IDF, as well as the U.S. armed forces, have conducted several retaliatory strikes against the Iranian terrorist proxy in Yemen, targeting jihadist infrastructure and logistics.
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