"Unprecedented event": Yemeni missile penetrates deep into Israel in “11 and a half minutes”

Shafaq News/ Sirens echoed across Tel Aviv and central Israel early Sunday, prompting residents to seek shelter after a missile launched from Yemen struck an open area approximately 6 kilometers from Tel Aviv, according to Israeli media.

Israeli media described the launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen, which landed east of Tel Aviv, as a "dramatic and unprecedented event," according to the Maariv newspaper, which also reported that five people were injured while attempting to seek shelter from the missiles.

"A surface-to-surface missile was identified crossing into central Israel from the east and fell in an open area. No injuries were reported," the Israeli military said.

Additionally, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that the Yemeni missile fell about 6 kilometers from Ben Gurion Airport.

Army spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on X, "The explosions heard in recent minutes are the result of interception missiles."

"The results of the interception process are still under investigation; there is no change in Home Front Command instructions."

In this context, Channel 12 reported, “The air defenses failed to intercept the missile launched from Yemen.”

In turn, the Yemeni Armed Forces, showing support for the Palestinian people, announced that its missile force carried out a strike against an Israeli military site in the Yafa region. According to the Yemeni Armed Forces' official statement, the operation was executed using a new hypersonic ballistic missile that successfully reached its target. "The enemy's defense systems failed to intercept and confront the missile.”

The missile traveled a distance of 2,040 kilometers in just 11 and a half minutes, creating unprecedented panic among Israeli citizens. “More than two million Zionists headed to shelters for the first time in the history of the Israeli enemy,” the statement added.

This attack is part of what the Yemeni military describes as the fifth round of their operations. It represents a culmination of extensive efforts by the missile force's "heroes," who have worked tirelessly to advance missile technology, “so that it would respond to the requirements of the battle and its challenges with the Zionist enemy and succeed in reaching its objectives and bypassing all obstacles and interception systems on land and sea, including American, Israeli, and others.”

Despite facing geographical challenges and ongoing American-British aggression, the Yemeni military emphasized its commitment to its "religious, moral, and humanitarian duty" in supporting the Palestinian people. “The Israeli enemy should expect more strikes and specific operations to come as we approach the first anniversary of the blessed October 7th Operation, including responding to its criminal aggression on the city of Hodeidah, and continuous supportive operations for the oppressed Palestinian people.”

On July 20, 2024, "The Israeli enemy has launched a brutal aggression against the Hodeidah Governorate, targeting the power station that supplies electricity to the coastal city of Hodeidah with several raids. It has also targeted the Hodeidah port and fuel tanks, all of which are civilian targets," the Yemeni Armed Forces stated.

In response, the Houthi movement (Ansarallah) vowed to retaliate, declaring its readiness for a prolonged war with Israel.

This story was updated to add the Yemeni Armed Forces official statement.