Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a stern warning to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, saying they will face a “heavy price” after the group launched a missile deep into Israel early this morning. The missile, fired at 6 a.m. local time, was aimed at Israel but reportedly fragmented in mid-air, falling in an open area in central Israel. No injuries were reported, according to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).

Footage and images shared by the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority on Telegram showed smoke rising over an open field and shattered glass inside a train station in Modi’in, a city located between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

The Houthis, backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for the attack, with a spokesperson saying the group had used a “new hypersonic ballistic missile” and warned that more strikes could follow as the first anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel approaches.

While tensions between the Houthis and Israel have simmered for months, this is a rare instance of a missile reaching central Israel, an area typically considered safe from such threats. “We are in a multi-arena campaign against Iran’s evil axis that strives to destroy us,” Netanyahu said ahead of a cabinet meeting. “They should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us.”

The missile launch follows months of escalating conflict, including an Israeli airstrike on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah in July, which came after a Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv. Israeli police are working with bomb squads in the Shfela region, where interceptor fragments fell, isolating the impact site and searching for additional debris.

Sirens sounded across central and northern Israel, including at Tel Aviv's airport, where passengers were seen rushing for shelter. Meanwhile, approximately 40 projectiles were fired from Lebanon into Israel’s northern region, with some intercepted and others landing in open areas, the IDF said. No injuries were reported, though fires were sparked by the falling projectiles.

Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon, has been launching almost daily attacks on northern Israel. Netanyahu warned that the situation at the northern border could not continue as it is, suggesting that a “change in the balance of power” is needed to ensure the safety of residents.

In southern Lebanon, leaflets written in Arabic were dropped by the Israeli military, warning civilians to leave the area, as Hezbollah had been firing rockets from there. The IDF later clarified that this was an unauthorised action by a local brigade, not approved by the military’s high command.

Tensions between Israel, Yemen, and Lebanon have been intensifying since Israel launched its war on Hamas following the October 7 attacks, in which over 1,200 Israelis were killed, and 250 were taken hostage. Global leaders have expressed concern over the potential for a broader Middle East conflict.

The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have regularly targeted Israel with drones and missiles since the war began. Most of these attacks have been intercepted by Israel or its allies. The Houthis have also attacked shipping in the Red Sea, in protest of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

The Houthis previously claimed responsibility for a deadly drone strike in Tel Aviv in July, marking the first time the city was hit by a Houthi drone. In retaliation, Israel conducted airstrikes on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah the following day, its first such strike on Yemen.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah has intensified attacks from Lebanon, sending drones and rockets across the border into northern Israel, raising fears that the conflict could expand further across the region.

Israel’s military actions in Gaza are ongoing, following Hamas’s deadly October attacks. According to the Gaza health ministry, more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, with most of the dead reported to be women and children. The health ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its casualty figures.

Image source: NDTV World