Published April 23, 2025
By Becky Obaro
Israel’s military said on Wednesday that they likely intercepted a missile launched from Yemen, with the Iran-backed Huthi rebels saying they had launched the attack and claiming it had been successful.
Shortly after 4:00 am local time (0100 GMT), the Israeli army announced that the missile triggered air raid sirens in Haifa and other communities in northern Israel.
“An interceptor was launched toward the missile, and the missile was most likely successfully intercepted,” it said on Telegram.
Huthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had carried out the attack on “a vital Zionist enemy target in the occupied area of Haifa”.
“The missile reached its target… and interception systems failed to intercept it, causing fear and panic,” he added.
Since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023, the Huthis have repeatedly fired missiles and drones at Israel in what they say is a show of solidarity with the Palestinians.
The rebels have also targeted ships they accuse of having ties to Israel as the freighters travel on the Red Sea — a vital waterway for global trade.
They paused their attacks during a recent two-month ceasefire.
But last month they threatened to resume attacks on international shipping over Israel’s aid blockade on the Gaza Strip.
The move triggered a response from the US military, which began hammering the rebels with near-daily air strikes starting March 15 in a bid to keep them from threatening shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
AFP
