Intercepting a Ballistic Missile Fired from Yemen Towards Israel

The Israeli army announced on Sunday, December 2, that it intercepted and shot down a ballistic missile fired from Yemen aimed at hitting central Israel, outside the country's airspace. According to the army, the country's air defense systems identified and destroyed the ballistic missile over the region before it could penetrate Israeli airspace. The sound of sirens was heard shortly after 6 AM on Sunday in many cities in central Israel, which are closer to the eastern border of the country. The Israeli emergency medical services reported that four people were injured due to rushing to safe places, describing their injuries as superficial. The Houthis, allied with Tehran and Hezbollah, who control Sana'a and parts of Yemen, have not yet claimed responsibility for firing this missile towards Israel. The leader of the Houthis stated one day after the ceasefire began between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon that attacks by his forces and allied groups from Iraq against Israel would continue and 'intensify.' Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said on December 1, 'The Iraqi front is strong, important, and has capabilities that can act more effectively.' Forces allied with Tehran in Iraq have also stated that they do not consider themselves bound by the ceasefire established between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon and will continue missile and drone attacks towards Israel in support of the extremist group Hamas in Gaza, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by the US and the EU. The missile attacks from Yemen towards Israel and the intention of the 'Islamic Resistance of Iraq' to continue aggression against Israel come as Israeli and American media emphasize that the support of Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, for the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah ended the 14-month war between the parties. Amos Hochstein, the American diplomat who facilitated the recent ceasefire in Lebanon, stated that Iran supported the agreement and that separating the fronts of Lebanon and Gaza was key to achieving this political solution. The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah began on the morning of November 28 and has continued, albeit with some local violations. Israel responded to a Houthi drone attack that resulted in the death of an Israeli man in Tel Aviv this summer with extensive attacks on Houthi-controlled oil facilities in the port of Hudaydah in Yemen. However, it has not yet reacted to other attacks from them. Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's foreign minister, wrote in a letter to the UN Security Council on November 19 that Israel would hold the Baghdad government responsible for any attacks by militants from Iraqi territory and would take action against Iraq.