Hundreds of Thousands Rush for Shelter as Houthi Missile Targets Central Israel
A ballistic missile launched by the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen was intercepted outside of Israeli territory early Thursday morning, according to a statement put out by the Israeli military. The missile, which appeared to target Ben Gurion Airport, triggered sirens around 3 a.m. across cities including Tel Aviv, sending hundreds of thousands of residents rushing to shelters. An early warning was issued via push notifications roughly four minutes before the impact window.
The Magen David Adom emergency service reported that one person was lightly injured while seeking shelter.
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The attack is part of a sustained campaign by the Houthis, who have repeatedly fired ballistic missiles, drones, and cruise missiles at Israel since November 2023. The Houthis briefly halted attacks during a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in January 2025 but resumed once Israel restarted operations in Gaza in March.
A ceasefire was reached between the US and the Houthis earlier this month, with the Houthis agreeing to stop attacking international ships in the Red Sea. Despite that agreement, the group has vowed to continue strikes on Israel.
Since mid-March, the Houthis have launched at least 36 ballistic missiles and 10 drones at Israel, with several falling short or being intercepted. Thursday’s launch followed Israeli strikes last week on Houthi-controlled ports in Hodeida and Salif. Those strikes came in retaliation for previous missile attacks, including one that landed near Ben Gurion Airport earlier this month, injuring six people and prompting several international airlines to temporarily suspend service to Israel.
