| Submit your comments on this article |
| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| IDF intercepts Houthi missile after massive US strikes on Iran-backed Yemeni rebels |
| 2025-04-19 |
| [IsraelTimes] Some Israelis injured rushing to shelter, ambulance service says; sirens across central Israel and West Bank preceded by glitchy first-ever use of early warning system A ballistic missile launched at Israel by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen was successfully intercepted by air defenses Friday morning, the military said, adding that it was probing glitches in an early alert system it had just rolled out. There were no immediate reports of injuries as a direct result of the attack. The Magen David Adom ambulance service said it had fielded calls about people injured while rushing to a shelter. Firefighters battled a large blaze in the Jerusalem hills, close to the city of Beit Shemesh, apparently sparked by shrapnel from an interceptor missile that fell near the Netifim Cave, also known as the Soreq or Absalom Cave. The tourist site was briefly closed due to the fire, which was successfully extinguished after several hours. Palestinian media also reported that shrapnel from an interceptor missile was found close to Beit Fajjar, near Bethlehem in the southern West Bank. The missile launch came after Houthi media reported dozens of people were killed overnight in US strikes on western Yemen’s Ras Isa fuel port, which is held by the Iran-backed rebels. It was the deadliest strike yet in the US bombing campaign against Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping. Sirens sounded at about 6:36 a.m. across central Israel, in the Jerusalem area, including parts of the capital, and in some West Bank settlements. Flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport were slightly delayed following the sirens, the Ynet news site reported. For the first time, the IDF Home Front Command used a new system to alert civilians of the missile attack via a push notification on their phones 3-5 minutes before sirens sounded. The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit also issued, for the first time, an early statement about the missile launch, some four minutes before the sirens sounded. However, some Israelis reported that they did not receive the early alert. The IDF acknowledged that the early warning system did not work correctly in some areas, resulting in civilians not receiving the notification. Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have launched more than 20 ballistic missiles and several drones at Israel. About half of the missiles fell short of Israel, while others set off sirens in the country before being shot down. The attacks have greatly raised the Houthis’ profile as they faced economic problems, and they have also launched a crackdown targeting any internal dissent, as well as targeting foreign aid workers, amid Yemen’s decade-long stalemated war, which has torn apart the Arab world’s poorest nation. The war against Yemen’s Saudi-backed government left the Houthis in control of the capital Sanaa and much of the country’s western coast. Houthis claim responsibility for missile fired at central Israel this morning [IsraelTimes] The Houthi rebels in Yemen claim responsibility for a missile launch toward the center of the country this morning. In a statement released by the Houthi military spokesperson, they claim to have targeted Ben Gurion Airport in central Israel. The missile was successfully intercepted by Israeli air defenses. Sirens had sounded across central Israel, in the Jerusalem area, and in some West Bank settlements. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |