Houthi rebels say they fired missiles toward Israel

BEIRUT — Iran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen declared Sunday that they had fired missiles at central Israel, which was targeted by Iranian missile fire in response to Israel's unprecedented attack against the Islamic Republic.

In a statement, the Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, said they had "conducted a military operation targeting strategic enemy Israeli targets in the occupied region of Yaffa [Arabic name for Jaffa, a district of Tel Aviv] using a number of hypersonic Palestine 2 ballistic missiles." They specified they had targeted this region "repeatedly over the past 24 hours." In their statement, the Houthis added that their attacks were "coordinated with operations conducted by the Iranian army."

The Yemeni insurgents have carried out dozens of missile and drone attacks against Israel since the start of the war in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, claiming to act in solidarity with the Palestinians. They have also targeted ships they consider linked to Israel off the coast of Yemen. On May 4, a Houthi missile hit the perimeter of Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv for the first time, leading most foreign airlines serving Tel Aviv to suspend their flights. In retaliation for the attacks, the Israeli army has conducted several strikes in recent months against Houthi targets in Yemen.