Houthi missile successfully hits central Israel for the first time, no casualties

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the group carried out the attack using a new type of supersonic missile capable of flying more than 2,040 km in just 11 minutes and 30 seconds.

The missile was intercepted and broke into pieces in the air, rather than being completely destroyed, an Israeli military official said.

Air raid sirens were sounded in Tel Aviv and across central Israel shortly before the explosion at 03:35 GMT, sending many locals into shelters.

Rocket debris fell in some fields and near a railway station. There were no immediate reports of casualties, but nine people suffered minor injuries as they sought shelter. A Reuters reporter saw smoke rising from a field in central Israel.

At a weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said the Houthis should have understood that Israel would make them pay “a heavy price” for attacking Israel.

Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun.

“Those who want to be reminded of that can visit the port of Hodeidah,” he said, referring to Israel’s retaliatory attack on Yemen in July after a Houthi drone hit Tel Aviv.

The Houthis have repeatedly attacked Israel with missiles and drones, claiming to support the Palestinians, since the Gaza war broke out after the attack on October 7, 2023.

Houthi drones first hit Tel Aviv in July, killing one man and wounding four. Israeli retaliatory airstrikes on Houthi military targets near the port of Hodeidah killed six people and wounded 80.

Prior to this incident, Houthi missiles had never traveled deep into Israeli airspace, with a single missile reportedly hitting Israeli territory in an open area near the Red Sea port of Eilat in March 2024.

Houthi spokesman Sarea said Israel should be on guard for future attacks "as we approach the first anniversary of the start of the October 7 campaign, including airstrikes in response to their aggression against the city of Hodeidah".

The Houthis' deputy media chief, Nasruddin Amer, posted on X on Sunday that the missile entered Israeli airspace "after 20 interceptor missiles failed", describing the attack as "the beginning".

Nguyen Quang Minh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/ten-lua-houthi-lan-dau-tien-tan-cong-mien-trung-israel-thanh-cong-khong-co-thuong-vong-204240916093214783.htm