ALBAWABA- Air raid sirens rang out across central and southern Israel, including Ashkelon and the greater Tel Aviv area, after a ballistic missile was launched from Yemen, prompting widespread panic and sheltering.
Israeli authorities confirmed that one missile was intercepted before it reached Israeli airspace, marking the second such launch in as many days by Yemen’s Houthi movement.
As a precaution, air traffic was temporarily suspended at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport, with thousands of Israelis forced into shelters across affected regions. Channel 12 reported that the public remained under alert even after the interception.
The Houthis have declared the missile strikes a response to what they call Israeli "atrocities" in Gaza and continued aggression against Yemen. The launches are part of a broader campaign to pressure Israel amid its ongoing war in Gaza.
In a significant escalation, Israel retaliated on Tuesday by striking the port city of Hodeidah in western Yemen, the first such Israeli naval attack in the conflict.
The Israeli military claimed the Houthis were using the port to smuggle weapons, allegedly bypassing UN inspections.
Hodeida is a key hub for humanitarian aid to Yemen, and the attack is likely to complicate relief operations in a country already grappling with hunger and war.
