Air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem, where AFP journalists reported loud booms overhead, as the Israeli military announced it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen Thursday for the second time in less than 12 hours.
"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted," the army said in a statement just before noon (0900 GMT).
Early Thursday morning, the military also said it had downed a missile fired from Yemen, whose Houthi rebels have launched repeated attacks they say are in response to Israel's Gaza offensive. The first missile triggered air raid sirens around 3 a.m. across central Israel, including in Tel Aviv, prompting residents to seek refuge in bomb shelters.
Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said there were no casualties from either launch, though one man was hurt while seeking shelter from the first.
The Houthis claimed a missile attack targeting Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport, though it was unclear to which launch they were referring.
They also said they had launched drones at targets in Tel Aviv and Haifa.
The Iran-backed rebels have repeatedly fired missiles and drones at Israel since the Gaza war broke out in October 2023 following a Hamas attack on Israel.
The Houthis paused their attacks during a two-month ceasefire that ended in March, but resumed them after Israel restarted its campaign in the besieged territory.
The rebels warned Monday they would impose a "naval blockade" on the Israeli port of Haifa after the country's military intensified its offensive in Gaza.
With AFP
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