A woman walks past a boy near models of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) and missiles used by Yemen's Houthis, displayed in an open-air installation in Tahrir Square in the center of the Houthi-held capital Sanaa on March 23, 2025. (Credit: Mohammed Huwais/AFP)
Israel's military said Friday it had intercepted an incoming UAV while a military source in Jordan said another drone had crashed there, as Iran-backed Houthis claimed the attacks.
"A short while ago, a UAV (drone) that was on its way to Israeli territory from the east was intercepted by the IAF (Israeli air force)," the Israeli military said in a statement, without elaborating.
Since the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas erupted in October 2023, the Houthis have repeatedly launched drone and missile attacks at Israel, many of which have been intercepted before entering Israeli airspace.
Houthi rebels in Yemen, claiming to be acting in solidarity with the Palestinians, stated on their official website that they had launched two drones "targeting two Israeli military targets in the occupied Jaffa area" south of Tel Aviv.
The Houthis "assure to the oppressed Palestinian people that they are committed to their pledge of support and assistance, will not retreat, and will not stop," the statement said.
In Israel's eastern neighbour Jordan, several media outlets reported that Israel's military had intercepted a Yemeni drone over the Dead Sea.
A Jordanian military source said an unidentified drone breached the country's airspace and crashed in the Ma'in area of Madaba Governorate, some 30 kilometres southwest of the capital Amman.
No casualties were reported, but falling debris ignited a fire in the wooded area where it came down.
Jordanian military personnel and civil defence teams extinguished the blaze.
Besides the Houthis, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, another pro-Iran group, has also claimed responsibility for a number of attacks targeting Israel since the Gaza war began.