IDF downs Houthi missile as sirens sound across central Israel

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday ordered a second U.S. aircraft carrier to the Middle East as strikes against Yemen’s Houthis escalate.

By JNS

The Israeli Air Force early on Sunday morning intercepted a missile launched by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen.

While according to the Israeli military the missile was downed before crossing into Israeli airspace, the attack triggered sirens across central Israel, including in Tel Aviv.

Ben Gurion Airport also briefly suspended takeoffs and landings in response to the incident.

Meanwhile, Magen David Adom emergency medical services reported that despite the alarms sounding in multiple communities across the country as millions ran to bomb shelters, there were no reports of injuries.

The incident occurred amid ongoing U.S. airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, as the terror group last week resumed ballistic missile launches at Israeli territory after a two-month lull.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reinforced its stance against the Houthis on Saturday night, posting “24/7 #HouthisAreTerrorists” on X, alongside videos of fighter jets launching from an aircraft carrier for ongoing bombing raids in Yemen.

A missile launched from Yemen towards Israel on Saturday night reportedly landed in Saudi Arabia without being intercepted.

The IAF on Friday afternoon intercepted a Houthi missile in what was the fourth such attack last week. The projectile triggered sirens across central Israel, including in Jerusalem and several communities in Judea and Samaria.

On Thursday evening, a Houthi ballistic missile at Israel triggered air-raid sirens in the capital and throughout Judea and Samaria, just hours after another Houthi missile set off sirens in Tel Aviv, forcing millions of civilians into bomb shelters in the middle of the night.

The missile attacks began on Tuesday evening, marking the first time that Israel’s air defenses were activated against a threat from Yemen since mid-January, when a ceasefire with Hamas went into effect.

On March 12, the Houthis threatened to resume attacks on “any Israeli vessel” in the Red Sea area, citing Israel’s blockade on aid entering Gaza. Days later, the Iran-backed terrorist organization upped its rhetoric following Israel’s renewed airstrikes on Hamas targets.

“We condemn the Zionist enemy’s resumption of aggression against the Gaza Strip,” stated the Houthis’ supreme political council. “The Palestinian people will not be left alone in this battle, and Yemen will continue its support and assistance, and escalate confrontation steps,” the statement continued.

Since Hamas initiated the war on Oct. 7, 2023, by killing some 1,200 people in southern Israel, Yemen’s Houthis have fired more than 350 drones and missiles at the Jewish state in support of the Palestinian terrorist organization, in addition to carrying out numerous attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that the Houthis would be “completely annihilated” as American airstrikes pounded terrorist targets in Yemen.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday ordered a second U.S. aircraft carrier to the Middle East as strikes against Yemen’s Houthis escalate. The USS Harry S. Truman will stay an extra month, while the USS Vinson arrives next month.