A ballistic missile launched at Israel by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on Friday morning was intercepted by air defenses, the military said.
The missile fire marked the second day in a row of Houthi attacks on Israel, and the fourth within a week.
There were no reports of injuries or damage in the attack early Friday.
The missile set off sirens at around 4 a.m. in central Israel, including in Tel Aviv, sending nearly a million residents scrambling to bomb shelters. Preceding the sirens by some three minutes, an early warning was issued to residents, alerting them of the long-range missile attack via a push notification on their phones. However, the advanced warning does not override the do-not-disturb functions on cell phones, unlike the siren alerts.
The Israel Defense Forces said air defenses successfully intercepted the missile.
Video shared on social media purported to show an interceptor missile launched to shoot down the Houthi projectile.
Last week, the Israeli Air Force struck the Houthi-controlled Hodeida and Salif ports in Yemen in response to the Iran-backed group’s repeated attacks on Israel. The Houthis vowed to respond and have since continued their missile attacks on Israel.
On Thursday, the Houthis launched two missiles at Israel, claiming to have targeted Ben Gurion Airport. The IDF said both were intercepted. On Sunday, another missile fired from Yemen was shot down, according to the military.
Earlier this month, a Houthi missile slipped through air defenses and landed in the grounds of Ben Gurion Airport, injuring six people, none of them seriously. A slew of international carriers promptly halted services to Israel, though some have since said they will resume operations.
Israel responded to that attack with strikes on Sanaa airport, causing an estimated $500 million worth of damage. On Saturday, some flights to the Yemeni airport resumed.
The Houthis — whose slogan calls for “Death to America, Death to Israel, [and] a Curse on the Jews” — began attacking Israel and general 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 38 ballistic missiles and at least 10 drones at Israel. Several of the missiles have fallen short.