JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

The Israeli army said Friday that a missile was launched from Yemen toward central Israel, with reports of shrapnel falling in several areas.

A military statement said the missile launch triggered air-raid sirens in several areas in central Israel, with an initial review suggesting that the missile most likely fragmented mid-air.

“During the incident, several attempts to intercept the missile were made by the aerial defense systems. Sirens were sounded in accordance with protocol,” it said.

The national ambulance service MDA said several people sustained minor injuries while rushing to shelters.

Israeli Channel 12 reported that Israeli authorities suspended operations at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport after the strike.

Earlier, the army said the Israeli Air Force successfully intercepted a drone that was tracked flying toward Israeli airspace.

The incident set off sirens in communities near the Gaza Strip, which the army claimed were activated as part of the interception process.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree confirmed the attack, saying his group had fired a hypersonic ballistic missile toward Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, without being intercepted.

The spokesman said two drones were also fired at two Israeli sites in Tel Aviv and Ashkelon in southern Israel and hit their targets successfully.

Projectiles launched from Yemen have mostly targeted southern and central Israel since the conflict began in October.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched missile and drone strikes on Israeli targets and targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Arabian Sea in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where more than 62,200 victims have been killed in the Israeli offensive.