Houthi Attack with 'Ballistic Missile' on Central Israel; Netanyahu: 'We Will Impose a Heavy Price' on Them

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, on Sunday, September 16, following the launch of a ballistic missile by the Houthis towards central Israel, warned this Iran-backed group that they would face a 'heavy price.' Yahya Saree, the spokesperson for the Houthis, claimed that the group targeted the depth of Israeli territory, 2040 kilometers away from the launch site, with a new 'hypersonic' ballistic missile in just 11 and a half minutes. The Israeli army, which initially stated that the missile hit an uninhabited area, later indicated that the missile likely disintegrated in the air, with interceptor debris landing in farms and near a train station. This missile attack by the Houthis did not result in any casualties. Reuters reported that around 6:35 AM on Sunday, moments before the Houthis' missile reached central Israel, warning sirens sounded in Tel Aviv, prompting residents to seek shelter. Reuters also reported seeing smoke in an uninhabited area in central Israel. In response to this new Houthi adventure, Netanyahu stated that the group should know that Israel would impose a 'heavy price' on those responsible for such attacks. The Israeli Prime Minister added, 'Anyone who needs a reminder is invited to visit the port of Hodeidah.' Netanyahu's reference was to the heavy attack on Saturday, July 30, against Houthi facilities in Hodeidah, which was in retaliation for a deadly drone attack by this Iran-backed group on Tel Aviv a day earlier. Since October 20 of last year, the Houthis have launched attacks on Israel under the pretext of supporting Palestinians, conducting dozens of missile and drone attacks against Israel and ships passing through the Red Sea. In a drone attack on July 29, the Houthis killed one Israeli citizen and injured four others. Israel's retaliatory attack on the positions of this Iran-backed group resulted in the deaths of six people and injuries to over 80 others. Also see: Israel's heavy attack on Hodeidah port; Netanyahu: The Houthis use it to import Iranian weapons. Until today's attack, Houthi missiles had never penetrated deep into Israeli airspace, with only one cruise missile hitting an uninhabited area near Israel's Eilat port on March 18 of last year. However, following Saturday's missile attack, the Houthi spokesperson warned that as the first anniversary of October 15 approaches, Israel should expect more attacks from this group. During the terrorist attack on October 15 of last year, Hamas killed at least 1,200 Israeli citizens, including women, children, and the elderly, and took over 250 others hostage. Following this terrorist attack, Israel launched an offensive against Gaza to destroy Hamas and recover hostages taken by Hamas. The Hamas group is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Israel, Canada, Japan, and several other countries. The $20 million damage from Israel's attack on Hodeidah port in Yemen is a result of the Houthis' attack on Tel Aviv. The Hezbollah attack with 40 rockets on the Golan Heights, and the Houthi attack with a ballistic missile on central Israel, did not result in casualties. CENTCOM confirmed the Iran-backed Houthis' attack on two other oil tankers in the Red Sea. The Houthis detonated parts of a derelict Greek oil tanker in the Red Sea with a bomb. CENTCOM forces destroyed three Houthi drones from Yemen.