Houthis fire missile towards Israel as US strikes Yemen

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The Houthi rebels launched a missile towards Israel early on Sunday that the Israeli military said it shot down, as the US launched more air strikes on Yemen.

Sirens sounded in parts of Israel around the Dead Sea as the missile approached. “The missile was intercepted before crossing into Israeli territory,” the Israeli military said.

Houthi military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the rebels' target was Israel's Nevatim airbase with what he said was a hypersonic missile.

It came as the US continued operations against the Houthis overnight into Sunday, part of an intense campaign that began on March 15. The Houthis said a series of strikes, including in the capital Sanaa, had injured at least eight people.

“Eight citizens, including two children, were wounded when the American enemy targeted a residential district” west of Al Rawda, said the Houthi-run Saba news agency, quoting the Health Ministry.

Yemenis in Sanaa raise placards during a rally in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. AFP

The Houthis also reported strikes in other parts of the country, including their stronghold Saada in the north.

They said the fuel port of Ras Isa in the western Hodeidah region – where at least 74 people were killed in strikes just over a week ago – had also been hit.

The Houthis, part of Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' against Israel and the US, have portrayed themselves as defenders of Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war. They have regularly launched missiles and drones at Israel and at cargo vessels plying the Red Sea trade route.

The US military has since January 2024 been attacking their positions, saying it is targeting the “Iran-backed Houthi terrorists” to stop their offensives.

Since US President Donald Trump took office, those attacks have intensified, with almost daily strikes for the past month.

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Houthis fire missile towards Israel as US strikes Yemen

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