Israel says it intercepted missile fired from Yemen, Houthis say aimed at Eilat By Reuters
JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) – Israel said its air defenses intercepted a surface-to-air missile launched from Yemen on Sunday and Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement said it had fired several missiles at the Red Sea Israeli city of Eilat.
The attack added to the escalation of violence between Israel and the Houthis that began on Friday when the Yemeni group launched a drone attack on central Tel Aviv, killing one man and wounding four.
Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes near the Yemeni port of Hodeidah in response on Saturday, hitting what Israel said were Houthi fighters. Six people were killed and 80 others wounded in the attack, medical sources in Yemen told Reuters on Sunday, saying all of them were civilians.
Pictures from the scene showed flames and thick smoke rising from the strike area.
Israel's military said its Arrow 3 missile defense system shot down a projectile launched from Yemen on Sunday before it landed in Israeli territory.
Before the break, air raid sirens sounded in Eilat, sending residents scrambling for shelter.
The exchange is part of the war from the Gaza war that has lasted more than nine months and has drawn regional and international governments.
Groups allied with Iran, including the Houthis, have fired rockets and missiles at Israel, saying they were doing so in support of the Palestinians and the Islamic terrorist group Hamas, which controls Gaza. The United States and its allies support Israel and supply it with weapons.
The war began on October 7 after an attack led by Hamas in southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities. Israel has since bombed Gaza and killed nearly 39,000 people, according to health officials in the area.
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen and other major population centers, have previously said they have targeted Eilat and other attacks against Israel, saying they are in retaliation for Israel's war in Gaza.
The group has also attacked Red Sea shipping lanes for months.
Supporters of Hamas include Iran-backed groups such as the Houthis, Lebanese Hezbollah and Iraqi paramilitaries.
