Yemen's Houthis say they launch missiles at Israel for 1st time since Iran war began

SANAA, Yemen / ISTANBUL

Yemen’s Houthi group said Saturday it carried out its first attack targeting sensitive military sites in southern Israel since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Spokesperson Yahya Saree shared a video statement on US-based social media platform X, saying: “The Yemeni Armed Forces (Houthi forces) conducted their first military operation using a barrage of ballistic missiles against sensitive military objectives of the Israeli enemy in southern occupied Palestine.”

He added that the strike came “in response to ongoing military escalation, targeting of infrastructure, and perpetration of crimes and massacres against our brothers in Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, and Palestine.”

The spokesperson warned that the group’s operations “will continue until the declared objectives are achieved.”

Earlier Saturday, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that the military “identified launches from Yemen toward southern Israel for the first time since the beginning of this war.”

The escalation followed a warning from the Houthis late Friday of possible “direct military intervention” if new alliances join the US and Israel against Iran, or if the Red Sea is used for operations targeting Tehran.

Previously, the Yemeni group launched missile and drone attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping lanes in response to Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza, where more than 72,000 people have been killed since October 2023.

Meanwhile, the US and Israel have continued airstrikes on Iran since Feb. 28, with more than 1,340 people reported killed so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has responded with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military bases, causing casualties, infrastructure damage, and disruption to global markets and aviation.