The Israeli military reported that it successfully intercepted a ballistic missile fired by Iran-backed Houthis from Yemen. This marks the first instance of an attack on Israel by the terror group since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas broke down.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) verified that sirens were activated in southern Israel as a result of a missile launch from Yemen. Fortunately, the Israeli Air Force was able to intercept the missile before it could breach Israeli airspace.
It is suggested that the recent U.S. airstrikes authorized by President Donald Trump against the Houthis in Yemen may have dissuaded the terror group from launching an earlier and more intense assault against Israel, according to sources within the IDF as reported by the Jerusalem Post.
Nearly a quarter-million people were sent to bomb shelters across the central and southern desert Negev region as a precaution due to shrapnel from the interception Tuesday, Fox News has learned.Â
At least 404 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed in the Israeli airstrikes so far, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. The death toll has not been independently verified.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with security officials at the Kirya, Israel’s version of the Pentagon, on Tuesday during the airstrikes.Â
“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Netanyahu’s office wrote in a series of posts on X as the airstrikes commenced.
Fox News’ Yonat Friling, Rachel Wolf, Louis Casiano, Landon Mion and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.