The Israeli Air Force on Monday night intercepted a ballistic missile launched by Houthi terrorists in Yemen at central Israel, in the seventh such nighttime attack over the past two weeks.
The missile was downed before crossing into Israeli territory, according to the military.
Sirens were nevertheless activated due to fears of falling fragments from the interception.
Israeli media reported that missile debris caused minor damage in the Ramat Beit Shemesh Alef neighborhood of Beit Shemesh, close to Jerusalem.
In the central city of Yavne, an 18-year-old girl was hit by a vehicle while running to a bomb shelter, according to the Magen David Adom emergency medical service. She sustained light injuries to her chest and limbs and was evacuated to the hospital in stable condition.
There were no other immediate reports of injuries, although several people were treated for acute anxiety, said MDA.
The Iran-backed rebels claimed in a statement on Tuesday morning that they launched two missiles—one targeting Ben-Gurion Airport and the other aiming at a power station south of Jerusalem. During the Houthi attack, takeoffs and landings at the airport were briefly delayed, but operations resumed within an hour.
The terrorist group also said that it targeted the aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman. There was no immediate comment from the U.S. military.
Overnight Friday, the Israel Defense Forces intercepted a Houthi missile that triggered air-raid sirens across the Jerusalem, Judea and Dead Sea areas. It was the first time sirens sounded in the capital since the Iranian attack on Oct. 1.
The previous night, sirens blared in the greater Tel Aviv area as the IDF intercepted another Houthi missile fired from Yemen. A U.S.-made THAAD anti-missile battery assisted in the interception, in the first such instance since the system was deployed to Israel in October.
Houthi terrorists have launched over 200 missiles and 170 drones at Israel in support of Hamas since the terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
On Thursday, the Israeli Air Force conducted strikes on the western coast of and deep inside Yemen, including at Sanaa International Airport in the Houthi-controlled capital.
The targets included the Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations, in addition to terror infrastructure in the Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Kanatib ports.
“These military targets were used by the Houthi terrorist regime to smuggle Iranian weapons into the region and for the entry of senior Iranian officials. This is a further example of the Houthis’ exploitation of civilian infrastructure for military purposes,” the IDF said.
Speaking from IAF headquarters after the strike on the second night of Chanukah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is engaged in a modern-day Maccabean struggle.
“We are determined to cut off this terrorist arm of Iran’s axis of evil,” the prime minister said. “We will persist in this until we complete the task.”
