Israel’s Air Defense Shoots Down Houthi Missile Amid Rising Tensions

Bomb squads were examining three impact sites from the interception in the Sharon region, including in Ramla and Modi’in, and security forces were searching for additional debris, according to the Israel Police.

By Joshua Marks, JNS

Israel’s Arrow 3 missile defense system early on Wednesday intercepted a ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

The missile was intercepted before crossing into Israeli air space, but sirens were triggered across much of central Israel due to the threat of falling shrapnel, according to the Israeli military.

“For the 5th time in a week, millions of Israelis were sent to shelter as Houthi terrorists in Yemen launched a missile attack,” the Israel Defense Forces posted to its English X account, with an accompanying map showing the many incoming missile and rocket alerts, which were heard in more than 200 communities for the second night in a row.

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🚨For the 5th time in a week, millions of Israelis were sent to shelter as Houthi terrorists in Yemen launched a missile attack. pic.twitter.com/nsoJb4saxa

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 25, 2024

Seven people were injured attempting to reach a protected area in the Gush Dan and Judean Foothills regions, while two people were treated for anxiety, according to Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency medical service.

Bomb squads were examining three impact sites from the interception in the Sharon region, including in Ramla and Modi’in, and security forces were searching for additional debris, according to the Israel Police.

Interceptor fragments reportedly fell on a house in Be’er Ya’akov to the southwest of Ben Gurion International Airport, and Bnei Brak’s mayor reported that a large piece fell in the yard of a home in the city center.

Houthi terrorists have launched over 200 missiles and 170 drones at Israel in support of Hamas since the terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The vast majority were intercepted outside of Israeli territory by Israel or the United States.

The terror group has escalated its attacks in recent days, scoring multiple hits on Israel’s densely populated central region.

Overnight Monday, a woman in her 60s was critically injured when she struck her head while rushing to a shelter in Tel Aviv during sirens triggered by another Houthi missile. MDA paramedics treated 25 people who were lightly hurt running to shelters or who suffered anxiety attacks.

Earlier on Monday, the IDF shot down an attack drone launched by Houthi terrorists before it crossed into Israeli territory.

Shortly before dawn on Thursday, the warhead from an intercepted missile hit an elementary school in Ramat Gan, collapsing the school’s main building but causing no injuries. Following a failed interception overnight Friday, a missile hit a playground in a residential area of Jaffa, lightly injuring 16 people.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday promised that the terror group will be dealt with.

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that the Jewish state would target the Houthi leadership.

According to Israel’s Kan News public broadcaster, the Jewish state is considering a more aggressive and widespread attack on the Houthis.

UNSC to hold emergency meeting at Israel’s request

The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency session on Monday to discuss the escalating Houthi attacks, at Israel’s request, Hebrew media reported on Wednesday.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar sent a letter to the president of the UNSC on Tuesday calling on U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield to convene the meeting regarding the Houthi threat.

In an X post accompanied by images of the letter, Sa’ar wrote that the reason for the meeting is “to condemn the Houthis’ attacks and Iran’s ongoing support for them.”

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אמש הנחיתי את הנציגויות הדיפלומטיות שלנו באירופה לפעול לקידום הכרזות על החות׳ים כארגון טרור. היום פניתי לנשיאת מועצת הביטחון של האו״ם לכינוס ישיבת חירום של המועצה לגנות את המתקפות של החות׳ים ואת
תמיכתה המתמשכת של איראן בהם.

החות׳ים תוקפים את ישראל שוב ושוב, בין השאר באמצעות ירי… pic.twitter.com/2Lw1Q3GfIa

— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) December 24, 2024

“The Houthis repeatedly attack Israel, including through missile and UAV launches. They threaten freedom of navigation and international trade. They pose a threat not only to Israel but to the region and the entire world,” Sa’ar continued.

“The Houthis’ ongoing hostile actions are a severe violation of international law, Security Council resolutions, and a continuous threat to peace and security,” he added.

In the letter, Sa’ar cited three attacks on Israel over the past week by the Houthis, including the one that destroyed an elementary school in Ramat Gan.

Danny Danon, Israel’s U.N. ambassador, expressed satisfaction with the scheduled meeting, saying, “The Houthis appear not to have grasped the consequences that await those who attempt to attack Israel. The Security Council must stand with Israel and condemn these attacks. I urge the council to uphold international law and establish Iran’s accountability in this matter.”

Sa’ar on Monday instructed Israeli diplomats to advocate for the Houthis to be designated as a terrorist organization in the European Union and United Kingdom.

“The Houthis pose a threat not only to Israel but to the region and the entire world,” said Sa’ar.

“The direct threat to freedom of navigation in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes is a challenge to the international community and the world order. The first and most basic thing is to define them as a terrorist organization,” the statement continued.

In January, the Biden administration redesignated the Houthis as a terrorist group, having delisted the Iranian proxy shortly after Joe Biden took office, reversing a decision made by the Trump administration at the end of Trump’s first term.

In addition to the United States, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Israel classify the Houthis as a terrorist group.