Shafaq News – Middle East / Sanaa (Updated at 23:23)

Yemen’s Houthis (Ansarallah) announced on Thursday that their forces launched a Palestine 2 hypersonic ballistic missile at a “sensitive Israeli military target” in the Yaffa region.

In a statement, the group declared the operation “successfully achieved its objective,” forcing mass evacuations into shelters and prompting the closure of airspace over Israel. The Houthis said the attack was carried out in retaliation for “Israeli genocide in Gaza” and the latest strikes on Yemen.

The statement added that the group’s drone unit conducted two additional operations, one using three UAVs against targets in the Umm al-Rashrash area (Eilat), and another against a “sensitive target” in Beersheba. Both hit their objectives, the group claimed, threating that Umm al-Rashrash would remain under “continuous targeting.”

Vowing to continue military operations until the war on Gaza ends and the blockade is lifted, the Houthis said they would keep expanding their arsenal to support Palestinians and confront Israel.

The Israeli army confirmed in a post on X that Sirens were sounding across several areas in Israel due to a Houthi projectile, without providing further details.

In another post earlier, the army reported that its Air Force had intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) “launched from the east.” It said no alerts were activated in line with operational policy, though its English-language page noted that alarms did sound in the southern city of Eilat.

According to Israeli media outlets, a drone struck the entrance of a hotel in Eilat, triggering air raid sirens and prompting a rapid security response. Footage circulating online showed visible damage at the scene, though no official statement has been issued regarding casualties or material losses.

Al-Masirah Houthis-affiliated TV commented on videos saying that the Israeli media documented the explosion of a drone "launched from Yemen."