Sixteen injured in Houthi-claimed attack in Tel Aviv

Missile follows Israeli air strikes on Thursday in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, which killed nine people

Israeli emergency personnel at the scene of a missile strike that was launched from Yemen and landed in Jaffa, south of Tel Aviv. Reuters

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

The Houthi rebels in Yemen said a hypersonic ballistic missile they launched hit a military target in central Israel's Jaffa area, near Tel Aviv, as the Israeli military confirmed it failed to intercept a "projectile" fired from Yemen that injured 16 people early on Saturday.

"The missile struck its target accurately and the defences and interception systems failed to intercept it," Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said.

The Israeli military said that "one projectile launched from Yemen was identified and unsuccessful interception attempts were made".

Israeli police also said they received reports of a weapon landing in one of the settlements within the Tel Aviv region. According to Israeli media, the projectile fell in the town of Bnei Brak, east of Tel Aviv.

The Iran-backed Houthis have repeatedly fired drones and missiles towards Israel in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. In return, Israel has struck multiple targets in Yemen, including ports and power plants in areas controlled by the group.

The Houthis said on Thursday that Israeli air strikes that day killed nine people, after the group fired a missile towards Israel, badly damaging a school.

"The Israeli enemy targeted ports in Hodeidah and power stations in Sanaa, and the Israeli aggression resulted in the martyrdom of nine civilian martyrs," rebel leader Abdul Malik Al Houthi said in a speech broadcast by the rebels' Al Masira TV.

While Israel has previously hit targets in Yemen, Thursday's were the first against the rebel-held capital Sanaa. Israel said it struck the targets in Yemen after intercepting a missile fired from the country, a strike the rebels subsequently claimed.

Mr Saree said on Thursday that they fired ballistic missiles at "two specific and sensitive military targets in the occupied Yaffa [Jaffa] area".

On December 9, a drone claimed by the Houthis exploded on the top floor of a residential building in the central Israel city of Yavne, causing no casualties.

In July, a Houthi drone attack in Tel Aviv killed an Israeli civilian, prompting retaliatory strikes on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.

The Houthis have also attacked merchant ship in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which they claim are linked to Israel and its allies, leading to retaliatory strikes on Houthi targets by US and British forces.