Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim hypersonic missile launch on Israel

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took refuge in shelters on Sunday after a missile strike claimed by Yemen’s Houthis landed near Tel Aviv airport in the heart of the country.

Really known as Ansar Allah, the followers of God, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have clearly etched their intentions in their motto: “Death to America, Death to Israel and a Curse on the Jews“On Sunday, September 15, they made headlines again by firing a missile described as hypersonic at central Israel.

Since 2014, the Houthi rebels of Yemen have been very active in the Red Sea and especially, of course, since October 7. As of early August 2024, according to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the Houthis have attacked 88 ships since the start of the war in Gaza. For the same period, the Houthi leader claims responsibility for attacks on 177 ships. This is also the aspect of the crisis that is the most costly for Israel. It amounts to billions of dollars.

So far, the Houthis have been firing heavily into Israel, mainly at the port city of Eilat in the southern tip of the country. But on Sunday, they sent hundreds of thousands of Israelis into shelters early in the morning by firing a missile that landed near Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport in the heart of the country. They claimed to have fired a hypersonic missile that was targeting an Israeli military base.

For their part, Israeli military officials claimed that it was a simple ballistic missile that had been boosted to travel more than 2,000 kilometers, a record since the beginning of the conflict. The device reportedly broke up in mid-flight, making it difficult to intercept, according to Israeli military sources.

The Houthis have a well-stocked arsenal. First of all, a hundred thousand militants training to attack Israel. And above all, a complete arsenal provided free of charge, ready to use, by Iran: ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and also drones. Last July, the Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a drone attack on Tel Aviv that killed an Israeli civilian.

In retaliation, the Israeli army bombed the Yemeni port of Hodeida, one of the main entry points for the rebel-held area. The Houthis had then judged “inevitable” a response to this attack. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, promised new reprisals on Sunday. It is a cycle that seems far from ending, in any case, as long as the war in Gaza continues.