Israeli authorities have reported that a missile was intercepted near Eilat, shortly after the leader of Yemen’s Houthi rebels vowed to continue attacks on Israel. The military spokesperson for the Houthi rebels claimed that the missile launch came as a response to previous Israeli military operations on their targets. The Israeli military confirmed that the missile was intercepted using their “Arrow” aerial defense system and did not enter their territory.
The leader of the Houthi rebels, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, stated that they would continue to monitor and target Israeli ships in the Red Sea, particularly near Yemeni regional waters. Since October 7, the Houthis have launched multiple missile and drone attacks on Israel, reportedly in response to Hamas attacks on southern Israel.
The conflict in Gaza has increased tensions in the region, with Hezbollah engaging in fire exchanges with Israeli forces across the Lebanon-Israel border and Iran-backed groups targeting US forces in Syria and Iraq. The Yemen conflict has reached a stalemate, with the Saudi-led intervention failing to dislodge the Houthis and contributing to a humanitarian crisis. A United Nations-backed truce expired in October, leaving the situation at a standstill.