Houthi Rebels Launch First Ballistic Missile at Israel Since Regional Conflict Began

The Houthi rebel movement in Yemen fired a ballistic missile at Israel early on Saturday, marking the first direct Houthi attack on Israeli territory since the start of the regional war on February 28, 2026. The Israeli military detected the launch at around 06:00 Greek time and confirmed that air defense systems successfully intercepted the missile. No injuries were reported from the interception. Warning sirens sounded in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba and in areas surrounding the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center near Dimona. A warning signal was also issued for Eilat, though sirens did not sound there. Residents received the all-clear to leave shelters approximately 15 minutes after the initial alert.

Houthi threats preceded the launch by hours The attack came hours after the Houthi movement issued fresh warnings of military involvement in the ongoing conflict. Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi stated on Friday that his forces were ready to act if the United States or Israel intensified operations against Iran, or if the Red Sea was used as a corridor for attacks on Iranian territory. The Houthis also warned that they could strike Gulf countries and disrupt maritime navigation around the Arabian Peninsula. The semi-official Iranian agency Tasnim separately cited an unnamed Iranian military source as saying that Iran could open a new front in the Bab al-Mandab Strait if attacks were carried out on Iranian territory or its islands. The Houthi movement is backed by Tehran and has previously aligned its military actions with Iranian strategic interests.

Houthis had paused attacks after Gaza ceasefire The Houthi movement began launching missiles and drones toward Israel in November 2023, one month after Hamas's attack on October 7 of that year. Since then, the group carried out dozens of attacks against Israeli territory and maritime targets in the Red Sea, drawing retaliatory strikes from Israel. The Houthis temporarily suspended their attacks against Israeli territory following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in October 2025. Saturday's launch ended a pause in Houthi attacks on Israel that had held since the Gaza ceasefire of October 2025. The group had previously framed its attacks as acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and with Iranian-aligned forces across the region. The resumption of hostilities came exactly 28 days after the start of the current war between the United States, Israel, and Iran, which began on February 28, 2026. The Houthis possess the capacity to threaten neighboring Gulf states and to disrupt shipping lanes in the Red Sea and around the Arabian Peninsula, according to reporting cited in the source articles. The Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical global shipping chokepoint, has been identified as a potential flashpoint if the conflict widens further.

Separate Tel Aviv strike killed one man overnight A separate strike in Tel Aviv shortly before midnight on Friday resulted in the death of one man, according to reporting cited in the source articles. That incident occurred before the Houthi missile launch and was described as distinct from the Yemeni attack. The Houthi missile launch is being assessed as a significant escalation, as it opens a new front in a conflict that already involves multiple regional actors. Israeli air defense systems were activated a third time during the night from Friday to Saturday, according to reporting from Skai. The involvement of the Houthis adds a new dimension to a war that has already drawn in the United States and Israel against Iran, and raises concerns about further regional spillover. Web search results also cited reports of 12 U.S. soldiers reportedly injured in an Iranian attack on a Saudi base, though no further details on that incident were available in the source articles.