Houthi Ballistic Missile Strikes Central Israel; Netanyahu Promises a Strong Response

Following the launch of a ground-to-ground missile by the Houthis in Yemen that targeted central Israel on Sunday morning, Israel's multi-layer air defense systems were activated. According to the Israeli army, the ballistic missile fired from Yemen was intercepted over central Israel at 6:30 AM on Sunday, September 25. This is the first time in about two months that the Tehran-aligned Houthis have targeted Israel with attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned during a weekly cabinet meeting that there would be a strong response to the missile attack by the Houthi militants. He stated on Sunday, September 25: 'We are engaged in a multi-front struggle against the axis of evil led by Iran that seeks our destruction.' The Prime Minister added: 'This morning, the Houthis fired a ground-to-ground missile from Yemen towards our territory. They must know that any attempt to attack us will have a heavy price for them.' According to the Israeli army, since the missile fired from Yemen was ground-to-ground and ballistic, the 'Khetz 2' and 'Khetz 3' defense systems were activated, and the Iron Dome system was also used to prevent missile debris from hitting residential areas. Yahya Saree, a spokesman for Ansar Allah, the military branch of the Houthis, claimed on Sunday that the Houthis used a new type of 'hypersonic' missile that entered Israeli airspace 11.5 minutes after launching from Yemen. He claimed that the missile's target was 'a military center' and that 'American systems' failed to intercept it. According to the spokesman, the missile launch was a reaction to the bombing of the port of Hodeidah by Israel on July 30 of this year, and this type of operation 'will continue.' Reports from Israeli army radio and Channel 10 indicated that the explosion heard at that time in the village of Daniel in central Israel was likely due to the explosion of the 'intercepted missile.' However, according to Haaretz, it is still unclear whether the interception was successful. The village of Daniel is located six kilometers from Ben Gurion, Israel's main international airport in the Tel Aviv suburbs. Flight operations at the airport were halted for less than an hour but then returned to normal. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, debris from the missile fell in 'open space' and caused minor damage to a roadside gas station near the village of Daniel, but no one was injured. Magen David, Israel's rescue organization, reported that six citizens who rushed to safe places after hearing the warning sirens in cities like Rishon Lezion were injured due to slipping and falling. The warning sirens for missile attacks sounded in dozens of cities and towns in central Israel. However, the mayor of Rishon Lezion and surrounding cities reported a return to normal life and that schools remained open. Israel reported the interception of a missile launched from Yemen. Following a suicide drone attack by the Houthis on central Israel on July 29 of this year, which resulted in the death of a 50-year-old man in his home in Tel Aviv, the Israeli army destroyed many facilities along with Houthi targets in the western port of Hodeidah the next day using dozens of fighter jets. The flames resulting from the Israeli bombs in the port of Hodeidah remained visible for several days. Hazem Al-Asad, a member of the political office of Ansar Allah, wrote on Sunday in a message on X directed at the people of Israel that they should listen to the words of the leader of Ansar Allah (Abdul-Malik Badreddin) today. The Iran-aligned Houthis have attempted to launch ground-to-ground missiles at least once more since the outbreak of the Gaza war between the Israeli army and the extremist group Hamas, which caused no casualties or financial damage, but several of their drone attacks on Israel during the Gaza war, including one on the outer fence of an Israeli naval base in Eilat, caused damage. Ansar Allah, like Hamas, is recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States. The Ansar Allah group, like the Islamic Republic of Iran, chants slogans of death to Israel, and beyond that, death to the Jews. At the same time, on Sunday, more than 40 rockets launched from southern Lebanon towards northern Israel disrupted life in that part of Israel. Only emergency forces and a few residents remained in these parts of Israel, while the rest had left their homes on the orders of the army 11 months ago. Since the beginning of the Gaza war, Hezbollah has fired more than six thousand rockets into northern Israel under the pretext of supporting the people of Gaza. After a few days of relative calm, military movements along the northern borders of Israel and southern Lebanon have intensified again in recent days, and Israel has also expanded its attacks against Hezbollah targets in various parts of southern Lebanon. The Israeli army attacked targets located a hundred kilometers from the Israeli border in Lebanon on Saturday night. The Israeli Defense Minister has stated several times in the past week that the 'focal point' of events for the Israeli army is shifting from Gaza to the north of the country. The Israeli cabinet has not yet decided to initiate a large-scale war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and according to Israeli media, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is under pressure from the United States to refrain from entering the war in Lebanon. The war that began with the attack of the extremist group Hamas on Israeli soil has so far claimed the lives of more than 1,200 people in Israel and over 41,000 in the Gaza Strip.