First Houthi Missile Launch in Nearly Two Months Triggers Sirens Across Central Israel

Jerusalem, 15 September, 2024 (TPS) -- Iran-backed Houthis fired a missile at Israel on Sunday, the first in nearly two months.

The missile landed in an open area in central Israel’s Ben Shemen region. Air defenses fired several interceptors, which missed. The explosions in the sky could be heard across much of the country, triggering red alert sirens in numerous communities.

Nobody was injured but shrapnel landed on a train station in Modiin.

Magen David Adom said six people suffered minor injuries while making their way to protected areas.

The attack was the first since July 20, when an Israel struck the Yemeni port of Al Hudaydah in retaliation for a drone attack on Tel Aviv that killed one Israeli and injured seven.

Since October, the Houthis have launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel.

The Houthis vowed in early December to target any Israel-bound ship in the Red Sea, regardless of its ownership. They have attacked or harassed numerous ships, hijacked the MV Galaxy Leader in November and are holding its crew of 25 hostage.

From bases along the Yemeni coast, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have threatened ships in the Red Sea as they traverse the Bab el-Mandeb Straits, a narrow maritime choke point between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. The majority of the world’s oil passes through the strait from the Indian Ocean towards the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea.