Israeli military intercepts missile launched from Yemen
Shortly after 4am am local time (0100 GMT), the Israeli army announced that the missile triggered air raid sirens in Haifa and other communities in northern Israel.
'An interceptor was launched toward the missile, and the missile was most likely successfully intercepted,' it said on Telegram.
Since Israel's war in Gaza began in October 2023, the Houthis have repeatedly fired missiles and drones at Israel in what they say is a show of solidarity with the Palestinians.
The Houthi rebel group controls swaths of Yemen, and Israel has struck Houthi targets several times inside the country including in the capital Sanaa.
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The rebels have also targeted ships they accuse of having ties to Israel as the freighters travel on the Red Sea — a vital waterway for global trade.
The US military has been carrying out almost daily attacks for the past month, saying it was targeting the Houthi 'terrorists' to stop attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has appointed an envoy to complete a 'strategic assessment' of its agency charged with aiding Palestinians.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appointed Ian Martin of the United Kingdom to review the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, to gauge the 'political, financial, security' constraints the agency faces.
Israel cut all contact with UNRWA at the end of January, and has accused 19 of its 13,000 employees in Gaza of being directly involved in the 7 October 2023 attacks.
'We're trying to see how in this very complex environment, UNRWA can best deliver for the Palestine refugees it serves. For the communities it serves, they deserve to be assisted by an organization, by an UNRWA that can work in the best possible manner,' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
© AFP 2025
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