The Israeli military said early on Friday that its air defence systems intercepted a missile fired from Yemen before it could reach Israeli territory.
Warning sirens were triggered in several central Israeli areas due to the potential for falling debris, the Israel Defense Forces said.
At least 18 Israelis were injured while rushing to shelters, the Magen David Adom rescue service said.
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack and said they had targetted Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. They said a “hypersonic ballistic missile” was used.
A Houthi drone force also carried out a military operation targeting the Santa Ursula ship in the Arabian Sea, they said.
The movement said they are prepared to escalate their drone and missile attacks and that their “operations will not stop until the aggression on Gaza stops and the siege is lifted.”
The interception occurred shortly after Israeli fighter jets targeted a range of sites in Yemen on Thursday, including the international airport and power stations.
According to officials in Yemen, the strikes resulted in at least six fatalities and more than 40 injuries.
The Houthis are allied with Israel’s arch-enemy Iran, like Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday evening reaffirmed Israel’s determination to dismantle the “Iranian axis of evil.”
Israeli emergency responders inspect the damage at the site where a projectile fired from Yemen landed in Tel Aviv early Saturday. Israel’s military reported that it failed to intercept the “projectile” launched from Yemen, which struck Tel Aviv. The national medical service confirmed that 16 people were lightly wounded. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa
