Tel Aviv faced an unprecedented missile strike early Saturday as a projectile fired from Yemen's Houthi forces landed in the Jaffa district, marking a rare direct hit on Israel's commercial and diplomatic center. The attack injured more than a dozen people and further underscored the intensifying regional fallout from the ongoing war in Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the missile originated from Yemen and admitted that interception attempts had failed. The attack occurred shortly after air raid sirens sounded across central Israel. Emergency services reported that at least 16 people sustained minor injuries from shattered glass, while seven others were treated for panic-related symptoms.
Beth Shahai, a 69-year-old resident, described the frightening moment. "The ballistic missile landed right behind our building, and all the windows blew in on the first, second floor, and the whole area. It was very frightening," Shahai told Reuters.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the strike, stating that they had launched a hypersonic ballistic missile, which they labeled "Palestine 2," at a military target in Jaffa. "The missile struck its target accurately, and the defenses and interception systems failed to intercept it," the Houthis said in a statement.
2 hours ago Houthi hypersonic missile strikes Telaviv. Iron doom fail.
The Houthis are the best of the Axis of resistance.
Undeniable! They wipe their butts with the likes of Golani and his supporters who won’t fight Israel even as it invades Syria. pic.twitter.com/mMMW9dpSlL — Syrian Girl (@Partisangirl) December 21, 2024
This attack follows a series of missile and drone strikes from the Houthis on Israeli territory, which the group claims are acts of solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel's ongoing military operations in Gaza. Since the war began in October 2023, the Houthis have targeted Israel and its allies, including ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The Israeli military responded to the strike with air raids on Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and the port city of Hodeidah, which reportedly killed at least nine people. The Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks until Israel lifts its siege on Gaza and ends its military operations.
In Gaza, the humanitarian toll continues to mount. Over 45,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed since the conflict began. Israeli operations have also expanded to Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah forces, and the broader region has seen an increase in violence involving Iran-aligned groups.
Earlier this week, another Houthi missile was intercepted near Tel Aviv, with shrapnel damaging a school. In December, a Houthi drone struck a residential building in central Israel, causing no casualties but heightening security concerns.
The missile strikes have exacerbated fears of a broader regional conflict, drawing in multiple actors from the Middle East. The Houthis, alongside Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, form part of an Iran-backed coalition that has intensified its attacks on Israel since October.
Israeli officials are grappling with the widening scope of the conflict. Tel Aviv, typically protected by Israel's extensive air defense systems, has rarely experienced direct hits. The failure to intercept Saturday's missile raises questions about the effectiveness of these systems against newer, more advanced threats like hypersonic missiles.
