Tel aviv: Yemen's Houthi group claimed missile and drone attacks on several sites inside Israel on Monday, in response to Israeli airstrikes on the country.

According to Anadolu Agency, in a televised statement, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said hypersonic ballistic missiles were launched at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Ashdod Port, and a power plant in the southern city of Ashkelon. The Houthis also fired eight drones at Eilat Port in southern Israel, he added.

Saree claimed that the missiles and drones successfully hit their targets as the Israeli interceptor missiles failed to confront them. No details were yet available about damage from the Houthi attacks, which came hours after Israeli fighter jets carried out airstrikes on the Red Sea ports of Al-Hudaydah, Ras Issa, and al-Salif, a nearby power station, and the cargo ship Galaxy Leader in Yemen.

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that Israel was not aware of the capabilities of missiles manufactured by the Houthis. Smotrich mentioned that Israel had not known about the range of 2,000 km missiles made by the Houthis in underground bunkers, as reported by Israeli Channel 12.

The Houthis have increased missile and drone strikes on Israel since the Israeli military resumed attacks on Gaza in March after a two-month ceasefire. Since November 2023, the group has also targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where more than 57,400 people have been killed in an Israeli onslaught.