Houthi rebels launch rare missile attack on northern Israel

A naval Iron Dome defense system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells, sits on the deck of a Sa’ar 5 Lahav Class corvette of the Israeli Navy fleet, in the northern port of Haifa on Feb. 12, 2019. On Thursday, an interceptor is believed to have stopped a rare missile launched by the Houthis targeting northern Israel. Pool photo by Jack Guez/UPI | License Photo

April 23 (UPI) — The Iran-backed Houthi rebels of Yemen launched a missile targeting northern Israel early Wednesday, according to the Israeli military.

The attack is rare for the Houthis, who have been enforcing a military blockade of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in support of the Palestinian people, tens of thousands of whom have been killed in Israel’s war against another Iran-proxy militia, Hamas, in Gaza.

The IDF announced the missile launch in a statement on Telegram, saying it triggered sirens in Haifa, Krayot and Western Galilee.

“An interceptor was launched toward the missile, and the missile was most likely successfully intercepted,” it said.

The attack comes amid near-daily U.S. strikes against the Houthis that began in mid-March, as the Trump administration attempts to destroy the group’s ability to attack U.S. vessels as part of its maritime blockade.

The Houthis established the blockade in November 2023, a month after the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7 of that year, when the militia launched a bloody surprise assault on the Middle Eastern country.

The Iran-proxy group has claimed the blockade is in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza, which has since been devastated by 18 months of war.

A cease-fire in the Gaza war took effect in January, but it lasted only 42 days. Israel has since resumed its military operations against Hamas in the Palestinian enclave.