Israel says intercepted missile from Yemen, Houthis claim attack
Houthi supporters hold up a mock missile and drone during an anti-USA protest, in Sana'a, Yemen, May 2, 2025. (EPA Photo)


Israel on Saturday said it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen and Houthi forces claimed responsibility for the attack, the third such attack by the group in 24 hours.

The Houthis, who control swathes of Yemen, have launched missiles and drones targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping throughout the Gaza war, saying they act in solidarity with Palestinians.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree, in a video statement on Saturday, said the group had targeted a military installation in central Israel "using a Palestine 2 hypersonic ballistic missile".

An Israeli military statement earlier said that "a missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted" after air raid sirens sounded in several areas of the country.

An Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist in Jerusalem said sirens were heard in the city.

The latest missile fire comes a day after Israel said it had intercepted two missiles in 12 hours, both claimed by the Houthis.

The Yemeni rebels had paused their attacks during a recent two-month cease-fire in the Gaza war.

But in March, they threatened to resume attacks on international shipping over Israel's aid blockade on the Gaza Strip.

The move triggered a response from the U.S. military, which began hammering the rebels with near-daily air strikes starting March 15 in a bid to keep them from threatening shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. A U.S. airstrike on a migrant center in Saada killed at least 68 people last week.

U.S. strikes on the rebels began under former president Joe Biden, but intensified under his successor, Donald Trump.

Since March, the U.S. says it has struck more than 1,000 targets in Yemen.

The Houthi-run Saba news agency said that overnight U.S. strikes hit the capital Sanaa and the neighbouring districts of Bani Hashish and Khab al-Shaaf, giving no further details.