Israel military says intercepted missile fired from Yemen

By AFP - May 22,2025 - Last updated at May 22,2025

An elderly Palestinian man pushes a bicycle past the rubble of destroyed buildings, in Gaza City, on May 20, 2025, amid the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza (AFP photo)

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — Air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem, where AFP journalists reported loud booms overhead, as the Israeli military announced it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen Thursday for the second time in less than 12 hours.

"Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted," the army said in a statement just before noon (0900 GMT).

Early Thursday morning, the military also said it had downed a missile fired from Yemen, whose Huthi rebels have launched repeated attacks they say are in response to Israel's Gaza offensive.

Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said there were no casualties from either launch, though one man was hurt while seeking shelter from the first.

The Huthis claimed a missile attack targeting Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport, though it was unclear to which launch they were referring.

They also said they had launched drones at targets in Tel Aviv and Haifa.

The Iran-backed rebels have repeatedly fired missiles and drones at Israel since the Gaza war broke out in October 2023 following a Hamas attack on Israel.

The Huthis paused their attacks during a two-month ceasefire that ended in March, but resumed them after Israel restarted its campaign in the besieged territory.

The rebels warned Monday they would impose a "naval blockade" on the Israeli port of Haifa after the country's military intensified its offensive in Gaza.

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