In the early hours of Sunday morning, at precisely 6:32 a.m. local time, a surface-to-surface missile fired by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen entered Israeli airspace, setting off sirens in the Tel Aviv area.
The missile, though large and capable of carrying a heavy explosive payload, fortunately landed in an open area without causing any direct damage or loss of life.
The event unfolded live on Army Radio’s morning news broadcast, with the announcer being caught off guard as sirens blared. Initial uncertainty surrounded the source of the attack.
Given the tense regional situation, speculations ranged from a Hamas rocket launch from the south or a Hezbollah attack from the north.
However, the missile’s trajectory soon pointed to an unexpected source—it had taken a circuitous route and entered Israeli airspace from the east, leading to suspicions of Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.
Finally, reports confirmed that the missile had indeed been launched from Yemen by the Houthis.
The missile’s low altitude and significant size made it challenging for Israel’s air defense systems to track and intercept. Early reports suggested that Israel’s Arrow missile defense system might have missed the initial interception, leaving fragments to be handled by the Iron Dome.
Further updates from Israeli media indicated that while the Arrow 3 system failed to intercept the missile outside of Israeli airspace, the Arrow 2 system succeeded on a second attempt, bringing the missile down over Israeli territory.
Despite this, five Israelis sustained injuries while rushing to shelter as the sirens sounded.
This missile attack marks a serious escalation, coming just months after Israel struck Houthi targets in July in retaliation for a drone attack that reached Tel Aviv.
The ongoing tension between Israel and the Houthis, who are supported by Iran, continues to be a significant concern for regional stability.
