Yemeni Houthis claim to have hit Israeli military target with hypersonic missile

By Mohammed Sameai

SANAA, Yemen (AA) – The Yemeni Houthi group said on Monday that it has used a hypersonic ballistic missile known as "Palestine 2" to target an Israeli military installation in Yaffa in central Israel.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced in a televised statement, saying the strike had successfully hit its target.

“Our missile force struck a military target in the occupied Yaffa area with precision,” Saree said, adding that such operations will continue until Israel ceases attacking Gaza and lifts the blockade.

Earlier Monday, Israel's military reported intercepting a drone and a missile launched from Yemen. Although the missile was intercepted, Israeli emergency services confirmed that five people were injured while seeking shelter in Tel Aviv and other central areas of the country.

Since the beginning of 2024, a coalition led by the US has been conducting airstrikes that it said are targeting Houthi locations in parts of Yemen in response to attacks by the group in the Red Sea. The counterattacks have been occasionally met with retaliation from the group.

In solidarity with Gaza, which has been facing an Israeli genocidal war since Oct. 7, 2023, the Houthis have targeted Israeli cargo ships or those associated with Tel Aviv in the Red Sea with missiles and drones, expressing determination to continue operations until the end of the onslaught on the enclave.

With the intervention of Washington and London and an escalation of tensions, the Houthis announced that they now consider all American and British ships as military targets.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio