 "Protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, hold up posters of assassinated Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukr, who was killed in an Israeli strike, as they attend a rally to show solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in Sanaa, Yemen. Reuters")
Israel intercepts missile launched from Yemen as Houthi attacks resume
The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen on Sunday (March 29), triggering air raid sirens across several regions of the country.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said: “Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted by the IAF [Israeli Air Force] prior to crossing into Israeli territory.”
The projectile was launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran and have repeatedly targeted Israel with long-range missiles and drones since the war in Gaza began on 7 October last year.
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have also disrupted global trade by attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
They claim their campaign is an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has waged a months-long military assault following Hamas’s surprise attack last October.
The latest missile launch comes after a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas collapsed on March 18, with Israeli bombardments resuming in Gaza. The Houthis had paused their strikes during the ceasefire but have since renewed their attacks.
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More ShortsUS attacks on Houthis
On March 15, the United States launched a significant air and naval offensive against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, targeting over 40 sites, including locations in the capital, Sanaa, as well as al-Jawf and Saada governorates.
These strikes resulted in at least one civilian death and four injuries. The campaign aims to dismantle the Houthis’ capacity to disrupt international shipping and to deter their missile attacks on regional allies.
In a related development, the US deployed radar-evading B-2 Spirit bombers to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean on March 26, 2025.
These aircraft, capable of carrying “bunker-buster” GBU-57 bombs, enhance the US military’s ability to target fortified Houthi positions and underground facilities.
With inputs from AFP