New Year begins with Houthi missile attacks on Israel; one intercepted

The Israeli Army on Wednesday (Jan 1) said that two projectiles were fired at it by the Houthi rebels from Yemen within minutes of the New Year. One of these missiles was intercepted y the Israeli military, while the second one landed in an open area.

The latest strikes come just a day after another Houthi missile was intercepted before it crossed into the Israeli territory.

Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been firing missiles and drones at Israel, in what they claim is solidarity with Palestinians, ever since the start of the war in Gaza on Oct 7, 2023. 

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Missile intercepted

In a statement, the Israeli military said, that alert sirens were sounded around midnight (2200 GMT) in the western Negev, and “two projectiles were identified crossing from the central Gaza Strip into Israeli territory”

“One projectile was successfully intercepted and the second projectile fell in an open area,” it added in a statement on Telegram. 

Also read | Israel intercepts missile launched by Yemen Houthis

Increasing Houthi attacks

The Houthi rebels, in recent weeks, have claimed to have fired several missiles at Israel, including at the capital Tel Aviv. Their attacks triggered retaliatory attacks from Israel, which targeted the rebels’ strategic assets and infrastructure.

Israel’s retaliatory strikes have included targets like the Sanaa International Airport — a major entry point for humanitarian aid — power stations as well as other facilities at several ports.

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These sites are used by the Houthis to “smuggle Iranian weapons into the region and for the entry of senior Iranian officials”, said Israel in a statement.

The US and the UK have also responded to the rebel attacks in Red Sea-area waters vital to global trade, and have repeatedly struck Houthi targets in Yemen this year.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq and non-state actors like Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.