Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed to have unleashed a hypersonic ballistic missile to strike central Israel for the first time.
In what marks a major escalation from the Iran-backed militia, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the terrifying missile was launched 2,040km (1,270 miles) in just 11-and-a-half minutes.
Although Israel said the missile didn’t strike its target and no casualties were reported, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would inflict a ‘heavy price’ on the Houthis, who control northern Yemen.
After initially saying the missile had fallen in an open area, Israel’s military later said it had probably fragmented in the air, and that pieces of interceptors had landed in fields and near a railway station.
Air raid sirens had sounded in Tel Aviv and across central Israel moments before the impact at around 6.35am local time (3.35am GMT), sending residents running for shelter.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed to have unleashed a hypersonic ballistic missile to strike central Israel for the first time. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea shared this photo of the apparent hypersonic missile today
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the terrifying missile was launched 2,040km (1270 miles) in just 11-and-a-half minutes
Responders put out a fire in the area of Lod, near Tel Aviv, in central Israel after Houthis launched the missile
An employee sweeps shards of glass from an escalator damaged from the impact of a missile fired from Yemen , inside a train station in the Israeli town of Modin
Loud booms were heard as the missile appeared to breach Israel’s Iron Dome and Reuters saw smoke billowing in an open field in central Israel.
At a weekly cabinet meeting, almost a year on from the start of the Israel-Hamas war, Netanyahu said the Houthis should have known that Israel would exact a ‘heavy price’ for attacks on Israel.
‘Whoever needs a reminder of that is invited to visit the Hodeida port,’ Netanyahu said, referring to an Israeli retaliatory air strike against Yemen in July for a Houthi drone that hit Tel Aviv.
The Houthis have fired missiles and drones at Israel repeatedly in what they say is solidarity with the Palestinians, since the Gaza war began with a Hamas attack on Israel in October.
The drone that hit Tel Aviv for the first time in July killed a man and wounded four people. Israeli air strikes in response on Houthi military targets near the port of Hodeidah killed six and wounded 80.
Previously, Houthi missiles have not penetrated deep into Israeli air space, with the only one reported to have hit Israeli territory falling in an open area near the Red Sea port of Eilat in March.
Israel should expect more strikes in the future ‘as we approach the first anniversary of the October 7 operation, including responding to its aggression on the city of Hodeidah,’ Sarea said.
Israel Police Bomb Disposal Unit examines the scene of a missile hit near Kfar Daniel, central Israel
Smoke billows after a missile attack from Yemen in central Israel
A firefighter extinguishes a fire that broke out after Houthis claimed to have launched a hypersonic missile
The deputy head of the Houthi’s media office, Nasruddin Amer, said in a post on X on Sunday that the missile had reached Israel after ’20 missiles failed to intercept’ it, describing it as the ‘beginning’.
He added: ‘It crossed a distance of 2,040km in 11-and-a-half minutes, and caused a state of fear and panic among the Zionists, as more than two million Zionists headed to shelters for the first time in the history of the Israeli enemy.
‘The geographical challenges, the American-British aggression, and the monitoring, espionage and interception systems will not prevent beloved Yemen from performing its religious, moral and humanitarian duty in solidarity with the Palestinian people.’
The Israeli military also said that 40 projectiles were fired towards Israel from Lebanon on Sunday and were either intercepted or landed in open areas.
‘No injuries were reported,’ the military said.
It comes amid fears that Russia has handed over nuclear nuclear bomb secrets to Iran in return for missiles to blast Ukraine.
A man in a cratar runs away as smoke billows and flames erupt behind him
Responders put out a fire in the area of Lod, near Tel Aviv, in central Israel
Israel Police Bomb Disposal Unit examines the scene of a surface-to-surface missile hit near Kfar Daniel
The terrifying prospect was discussed during a meeting between US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday at the White House.
If it is confirmed, such a deal would cause major concern with Tehran advancing its programme of uranium enrichment in a step towards developing a nuclear weapon.
British sources indicated that alarm bells were sounded over Iran’s trade for nuclear technology – in what is feared to be part of a deepening alliance between Tehran and Moscow.
Last week the US and UK declassified crucial intelligence that revealed Russian President Vladimir Putin had accepted a shipment of Fath-360 ballistic missiles from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Following the delivery, the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, shared a chilling warning during a visit to London with his British counterpart, David Lammy.
‘For its part, Russia is sharing technology that Iran seeks – this is a two-way street – including on nuclear issues as well as some space information,’ Blinken said, suggesting that Russia and Iran are engaged in destabilising activities with global implications.
