Israel says it intercepts missile fired from Yemen, Houthis say they focused Eilat By Reuters

JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) – Israel mentioned its air defences intercepted a surface-to-surface missile launched from Yemen on Sunday and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi motion mentioned it had fired a number of missiles on the Israeli Purple Sea metropolis of Eilat.

The assault extended an escalation of violence between Israel and the Houthis that started on Friday when the Yemeni group launched a drone that hit the centre of Tel Aviv, killing one man and wounding 4 others.

Israeli warplanes carried out an air raid close to Yemen’s Hodeidah port in response on Saturday, hitting what Israel mentioned have been Houthi navy targets. Six folks have been killed and 80 others injured within the assault, medical sources in Yemen informed Reuters on Sunday, saying that they have been all civilians.

Photographs from the scene confirmed a fiery blaze and dense smoke rising from the positioning of the strike.

The Israeli navy mentioned its Arrow 3 missile defence system had shot down the projectile launched from Yemen on Sunday earlier than it crossed into Israeli territory.

Earlier than the interception, air raid sirens had sounded in Eilat, sending residents working for shelter.

The exchanges are a part of a spillover from the greater than nine-month-old Gaza struggle that has drawn in regional and world powers.

Iran-aligned teams together with the Houthis have fired rockets and missiles at Israel saying they’re doing so in assist of Palestinians and the Islamist militant group Hamas that controls Gaza. The US and its allies again Israel and supply weapons to it.

The struggle started on Oct. 7 after a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel by which about 1,200 folks have been killed, in accordance with Israeli authorities. Israel has since bombed and invaded Gaza killing almost 39,000 folks, in accordance with well being officers within the enclave.

The Houthis, who management a lot of the north of Yemen and different massive inhabitants centres, have beforehand claimed concentrating on Eilat and different assaults directed at Israel, saying they’re appearing in retaliation for Israel’s struggle on Gaza.

The group has additionally attacked Purple Sea delivery routes for months.

Hamas’ allies embody Iran-backed teams such because the Houthis, Lebanese Hezbollah and Iraqi paramilitaries.