Houthi Missile Triggers Sirens in Central Israel, Lands in Open Field

Smoke billows after a missile attack from Yemen in central Israel on Sept. 15, 2024. Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

A missile attack from Yemen triggered sirens across central Israel early on Sept. 15.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that a surface-to-surface missile from Yemen had set off sirens in the Israeli capital of Tel Aviv and its surrounding areas at roughly 6:30 a.m.

According to initial reports, the IDF stated that the missile had landed in an open area and that no injuries or damage had been reported. The Israel Fire and Rescue Authority shared on Telegram footage of smoke rising from scrubland on the Route 1 highway where the missile landed.

The IDF stated that Israel’s air defense systems had launched several interceptors to bring down the missile.

“The explosive sounds heard in the last few minutes are from the interceptors,” it stated in updates on Telegram.

However, the interceptors seem to have engaged the missile late when it was already over Israeli airspace, as shrapnel from the interceptors was reported to have fallen inside Israel, both in open areas as well as at a train station on the outskirts of Modiin, some 18 miles east of Tel Aviv.

Previously, missiles fired by the Yemen-based Houthi terrorist group had not penetrated deep into Israeli air space, with the only one reported to have hit Israeli territory falling in an open area near the Red Sea port of Eilat in March.

The IDF stated that an investigation has been launched into why the missile had not been intercepted earlier, as well as the possibility of a “partial interception.”

“An initial inquiry indicates the missile most likely fragmented in mid-air,” it stated.

On Sunday, the Times of Israel reported the initial results of an Israeli Air Force probe, which found that a Houthi missile had been intercepted but the interception did not completely destroy the target. The missile fragmented in the air, and the warhead and other pieces fell in open areas of the Ben Shemen forest, just a few kilometers southeast of Ben Gurion Airport.

Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service stated that it treated nine people who injured themselves while scrambling to reach shelters when the sirens activated in the morning. All had minor injuries, according to the service.

Houthis Claim Responsibility, Make Threats

The Iran-backed Houthis terrorist group in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree, in statements to media in Yemen, claimed that the attack was carried out using a “New Hypersonic Ballistic Missile” and that its missile successfully struck a military target in Tel Aviv—not an open field.

“It forced more than two million Zionists to run to shelters for the first time in the enemy’s history,” Saree said.

He then made further threats against Israel, telling residents that they could expect more attacks ahead of the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by the Hamas terrorist group.

Saree said the attack on Sept. 15 was in retaliation for Israel’s July bombing of the Hodeidah port in Yemen, where Houthi terrorists had been storing their drones and surface-to-air missiles. Earlier, the Houthis had attacked Tel Aviv with a drone, killing one man and injuring four others.

He said the attacks against Israel were the Houthis’ “religious and moral duty” to support Palestinians in their claims for statehood.

The Houthis have continuously been attacking Israel, its allies, and cargo ships in the region with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones over the past 11 months since Hamas attacked Israel. The majority of the attacks on Israel have been successfully intercepted by Israel’s air defense systems.

Israel’s military stated in a 7 a.m. announcement shortly after the sirens were activated that there were no changes in guidelines for civilians following the missile attack.

Also on Sept. 15, sirens sounded in northern Israel as projectiles were fired by the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon. Some of them were intercepted, while others fell in open areas, according to the IDF. No injuries were reported.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Update: This article has been updated with the initial results of an Israeli Air Force probe.