Missile Launched from Yemen Intercepted: Air raid sirens sounded across central Israel

A missile launched from Yemen was intercepted early Tuesday morning by the Israeli Air Force, according to an announcement by the IDF Spokesperson. The missile triggered widespread air raid sirens across central Israel just minutes after its launch.

The IDF reported that the launch was detected four minutes before 5:50 AM, at which time alarms were activated in multiple cities, including Tel Aviv-Yafo, Ramat Gan, Ashdod, Yavne, Rehovot, Lod, Holon, Bat Yam, and Bnei Brak, among others. The alerts were issued per military policy, the IDF noted.

No casualties were reported, according to Magen David Adom (MDA).

In response to the incident, operations at Ben Gurion Airport were briefly halted. Several incoming flights—including El Al flights from New York and Dubai, as well as a flight from Katowice, Poland—were delayed in the air during the alert.

Background: Retaliation for Houthi Port Strikes

The missile launch came less than 24 hours after the IDF launched an airstrike on the port of Hodeidah in Yemen, marking the first Israeli operation in Yemen in two weeks. The airstrike targeted infrastructure belonging to the Houthi rebel group as part of Operation "Long Braid."

According to the IDF, the strike hit engineering tools being used to restore the port’s infrastructure, fuel tanks, and vessels allegedly involved in military activity. The port, Israel claims, is being used by the Iranian-backed Houthi regime to smuggle weapons and stage attacks against Israel and allied maritime assets in the region.

“The port is being militarized by the Houthi terrorist regime and used to promote terrorist operations,” the IDF said in a statement. “We identified renewed activity and restoration efforts at the port and targeted components used to facilitate these operations.”

This latest exchange underscores the escalating tensions between Israel and the Iran-aligned Houthis, as Red Sea security continues to deteriorate amid broader regional instability.