JERUSALEM: Fires erupted in areas near Jerusalem on Monday as a result of the debris of an Israeli interceptor missile that was fired to down a missile launched from Yemen. The Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported that the fires broke out near Beit Shemesh in western Jerusalem, attributed to the debris from the interceptor missile. According to Anadolu Agency, the Israeli army stated that it successfully intercepted a missile launched from Yemen before it could enter Israeli airspace. This defensive measure triggered rocket alarms in Beit Shemesh and other surrounding areas near Jerusalem. The Yemeni Houthi group confirmed their involvement, with spokesman Yahya Saree announcing that they fired a hypersonic ballistic missile targeting the Nahal Sorek military base in central Israel. Saree claimed the missile "precisely hit" its intended military target. The incident comes amid heightened regional tensions following Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in over 43,600 deaths, predom inantly among women and children, after an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October. The conflict has since extended to Lebanon, where Israeli strikes have killed nearly 3,200 people and injured more than 13,800, as reported by Lebanese health authorities. Despite international warnings of a potential escalation into a broader regional conflict, Tel Aviv advanced its military operations by initiating a ground assault into southern Lebanon on October 1.