Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a fierce statement warning that Yemeni Houthi rebels would pay a “heavy price” following their ballistic missile strike on central Israel on Sunday.
Yahya Sarea, a Houthi military spokesman, asserted that the “hypersonic ballistic missile” covered 1,270 miles in just over 11 minutes, with intentions to hit a “military target” in the vicinity of Tel Aviv.
After several attempts by the Israeli military to thwart the missile, Netanyahu responded assertively.
He said: “The Houthis should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us … Anyone who needs a reminder is invited to visit the port of Hodeidah.”
Despite the missile attack, no casualties have been reported. However, footage from Israeli media depicted people scrambling to shelters around Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport.
The missile landed in an open area in central Israel early Sunday and triggered air raid sirens at its international airport.
A fire could be seen in a rural area of central Israel, and local media showed images of what appeared to be a fragment from an interceptor that landed on an escalator in a train station in the central town of Modiin.
Israel’s army said the surface-to-surface missile was intercepted by its defense system, which hit and fragmented the target but did not destroy it. The military said the sound of explosions in the area came from interceptors.
Netanyahu’s stern warning following Sunday’s attack signifies a rise in tensions across the region as Iran-backed Houthi forces confirm their involvement in the Middle Eastern conflict.
Since the October 7 attack which resulted in approximately 1,200 civilian deaths and over 250 hostages taken into the Gaza Strip, Israel has been relentless in its bombardment, killing more than 40,000 Palestinians.
In the coming days, Netanyahu’s government is anticipated to conduct security consultations, evaluating the long-term effects of the Houthi strikes and potential additional responses.
Israel‘s northern front with Hezbollah, another Iranian proxy, remains on edge, with concerns that coordinated attacks could emerge.