Air raid sirens sounded Saturday morning across central Israel following a missile launch by Yemen’s Houthis, according to the IDF. The military said the projectile was intercepted and that alerts were activated "in accordance with protocol." Residents reported hearing explosions.
The sirens went off at 6:25 a.m. local time. Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom reported no injuries, except for a 26-year-old man who was hurt while running to a shelter.
Roughly 1.5 million people live in the areas where the alerts were triggered. This follows two missile alerts in northern Israel on Friday, also linked to ballistic missile fire from Yemen. The first strike, targeting the Ramat David Airbase, triggered sirens around 5:30 a.m. in several northern regions.
Shrapnel was later found in a kindergarten in Mishmar HaEmek. A second barrage at 1:30 p.m. activated sirens in Haifa, the Carmel area and the Jezreel Valley. No casualties were reported in either incident.
The IDF also said it intercepted a drone launched toward Israel from the east on Friday, likely also fired by Yemen’s Houthis. In recent weeks, dozens of cities and towns in southern and central Israel have also experienced alerts due to similar launches from Yemen.
The attacks continue despite ongoing U.S. airstrikes in Yemen. A month and a half into the American operation, the Houthis appear not only to maintain their launch capabilities but to be increasing the pace of their attacks.
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Earlier this week, U.S. Central Command reported that over 800 Houthi targets had been struck, with hundreds of terrorists killed. Still, some in Washington have criticized the campaign’s limited objectives, saying it has failed to eliminate the group’s leadership or cripple its missile capabilities.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently warned Iran over its support for the Houthis. "You will bear the consequences at a time and place of our choosing," Hegseth said in a message to Tehran. "We see your lethal support and know exactly what you’re doing. You know what the U.S. military is capable of — you’ve been warned."
Israeli officials have said they’re refraining from responding directly to the Houthis because the U.S. is leading the fight. “The fact that they’re firing doesn’t mean much,” a senior Israeli defense official said earlier this week.
“The American operation is very effective. The Houthis can still launch missiles but not in large quantities. Most are intercepted or fall short. The Houthi threat is mostly an annoying nuisance for Israel.”
The official added that while it's hard to say when the threat from Yemen will end, “patience is needed.” He also noted that Israel has little to contribute to the U.S.-led campaign. “Every day during this operation, the Americans have carried out about 10 times as many strikes as we could do in Yemen over the course of a year,” the source said.
First published: 06:30, 05.03.25