By Mustafa Haboush
ISTANBUL (AA) - Fires erupted in areas near Jerusalem on Monday as a result of the debris of an Israeli interceptor missile that was fired to down a missile launched from Yemen.
The Israeli public broadcaster KAN said fires erupted near Beit Shemesh, western Jerusalem, as a result of an interceptor missile's debris.
The Israeli army claimed in a statement that it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen before entering Israeli airspace.
Rocket alarms were sounded in Beit Shemesh and other areas near Jerusalem.
The Yemeni Houthi group, which fired several missiles towards Israel in the past months, is yet to comment on the incident.
Regional tensions have escalated due to Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 43,550 people, mostly women and children, following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October.
As the conflict spread to Lebanon with Israel launching deadly strikes across the country, more than 3,100 people have been killed and over 13,800 others injured since last year, according to Lebanese health authorities.
Despite international warnings that the Middle East region is on the brink of a regional war amid Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, Tel Aviv expanded the conflict by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar