A missile launched from Yemen struck the Israeli city of Tel Aviv early Saturday morning, with the Israel Defense Forces confirming that interception attempts failed, resulting in the missile landing in the city’s southern Jaffa district. There were no reported fatalities, but 14 people were treated for injuries caused by glass shards, while property damage was also reported. The Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that they had launched a hypersonic ballistic missile named “Palestine 2” at an Israeli military site in Jaffa. The Houthis cited the attack as a response to “the massacres against our brothers in Gaza,” with Hamas praising the strike. While Israel and Houthi rebels have engaged in retaliatory strikes against each other throughout the ongoing conflict in Gaza, attacks on Tel Aviv are rare due to Israel’s strong air defense systems. In September, a similar incident occurred when a ballistic missile from Yemen landed outside Tel Aviv, causing injuries to nine people. Following the recent attack on Tel Aviv, the IDF launched strikes on military targets in Yemen, including fuel tanks, power plants, and tugboats. Tel Aviv, as Israel’s commercial and diplomatic hub, is an infrequent target for direct impacts from incoming projectiles, making this attack a significant escalation in the conflict.
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Tel Aviv targeted by Houthi ballistic missile named ‘Palestine 2’
