A ballistic missile launched by the Houthis in Yemen at Israel early Thursday morning was intercepted by air defenses, the Israel Defense Forces said.
The missile, which was detected shortly after 4 a.m., did not set off any warning sirens in Israel. The military said no alerts were activated “according to protocol,” as the projectile was downed far from the country’s borders.
There were no reports of injuries or damage.
The Houthis did not immediately issue a statement on the missile attack.
Thursday’s missile fire was the first such incident since the Houthis attempted a drone attack on Israel on Tuesday.
In a statement Tuesday, the Iran-backed group claimed to have launched six drones at Israel, targeting “vital targets” in Haifa, the Negev Desert, Eilat and Beersheba.
“The operations successfully achieved their objectives, thanks to Allah,” the Houthis claimed.
The IDF reported shooting down one drone off the coast of Eilat, which did not set off sirens in Israel’s southernmost city because it posed no threat. The other five drones likely fell short before reaching the country’s borders, as many Houthi projectiles have previously.
Last month, Israeli Air Force drones struck Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Hodeida port in response to the Iran-backed group’s continued attacks. It marked the 13th time that Israel had struck in Yemen.
The Houthis — whose slogan calls for “Death to America, Death to Israel, [and] a Curse on the Jews” — began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas massacre.
The Houthis held their fire when a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas in January 2025. By that point, they had fired over 40 ballistic missiles and dozens of attack drones and cruise missiles at Israel, including one that killed a civilian and wounded several others in Tel Aviv in July, prompting Israel’s first strike in Yemen.
Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched 69 ballistic missiles and at least 22 drones at Israel. Several of the missiles have fallen short.