Tel Aviv: The Israeli army claimed on Saturday that it successfully intercepted a missile launched from Yemen with air raid sirens going off in the greater Tel Aviv area and Jerusalem following the attack.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Israeli army stated that defense systems were activated in response to the missile fired from Yemen. The missile was intercepted before it could reach its intended target, ensuring that no further damage occurred.

Israeli ambulance services reported dealing with several cases of panic and injuries as residents rushed to shelters following the activation of the sirens. In the aftermath of the missile launch, flight operations at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv were temporarily suspended, as reported by Israeli Channel 12.

However, Yahya Saree, the military spokesperson for the Yemeni Houthi group, made a statement claiming that it had targeted the Israeli Ministry of Defense headquarters in Tel Aviv with a ballistic missile. Saree asserted that the "Zulfiqar missile hit its target with high precision, and the interception systems failed to counter it." He further stated that the group is coordinating with the Palestinian resistance in Gaza to respond to any violations or military escalations by Israel during the ceasefire agreement.

The Houthis have previously targeted Israeli cargo ships or those linked with Tel Aviv in the Red Sea, in a show of support for the Gaza Strip, where nearly 47,000 people have been killed since October 2023. Since early 2024, a coalition led by the US has been conducting airstrikes targeting Houthi locations in Yemen in response to the group's Red Sea attacks, with occasional retaliation from the Houthis.