Houthis' missile attack in Israel: Hamas praises strike, Netanyahu warns Iran-aligned rebels

Palestinian militant group Hamas on Sunday (Sept 15) praised Yemen's Houthirebels for their missile attack in central Israel earlier in the day. In a statement, Hamas said that Israel would not enjoy security unless it ended its offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas considers the missile attack a "natural response to the Zionist entity's aggression against our Palestinian people ... We affirm that the Zionist enemy will not enjoy security unless it ceases its brutal aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip," the group said in a statement.

Hamas'remarks came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels after they launched the missile attack.

"This morning, the Houthis launched a surface-to-surface missile from Yemen into our territory. They should have known by now that we charge a 'heavy price' for any attempt to harm us," Prime Minister Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting, according to a statement from his office.

The missile strikes in central Israel

Earlier on Sunday, Houthirebels,who control northern Yemen,struck central Israelwith a missile for the first time and warned of more strikes to come in solidarity with the Palestinians.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the group struck with a new hypersonic ballistic missile that travelled 2,040 km (1270 miles) in just 11 1/2 minutes. Israel's military said the missile fell in an open area and nobody was hurt.

A report by the news agency Reuters said that air raid sirenshad sounded in Tel Aviv and across central Israel moments before the missile landed at around 6.35 am local time, sending residents running for shelter. Loud booms were heard, which the military said came from missile interceptors.

"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in central Israel, a surface-to-surface missile was identified crossing into central Israel from the east and fell in an open area. No injuries were reported," the Israeli military said.

Previous attacks on Israel

The Houthis have fired missiles at Israel repeatedly in what they say is solidarity with the Palestinians since the Gaza war began with a Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.

Previously, Houthi missiles have not penetrated deep into Israeli air space, with the only one reported to have hit Israeli territory falling in an open area near the Red Sea port of Eilat in March.

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Apart from missiles, the Houthis have also attacked Israel with drones, including one that hit Tel Aviv for the first time in July, killing a man and wounding four people. That attack prompted Israeli air strikes on Houthi military targets near the port of Hodeidah that killed six and wounded 80.

(With inputs from agencies)