Israel army intercepts Yemen missile after air raid sirens sound

Israel army intercepts Yemen missile after air raid sirens sound
Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system intercepts a projectile. (File/AFP)
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Updated 02 June 2025

Israel army intercepts Yemen missile after air raid sirens sound

Israel army intercepts Yemen missile after air raid sirens sound
  • Yemen’s Houthi insurgents later claimed to have fired a 'ballistic missile' at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport

JERUSALEM: The Israeli army said it had intercepted a missile fired from Yemen on Sunday after air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem and other cities.
“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted,” the army said in a statement.
Yemen’s Houthi insurgents later claimed to have fired a “ballistic missile” at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport.
The group’s military spokesman Yehya Saree said three drones were also launched at Israel.
The Iran-backed group has repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel since the Gaza war broke out in October 2023 with Palestinian militant group Hamas’s attack on Israel.
Almost all of the projectiles have been intercepted.
Sunday’s interception followed another reported attack on Thursday claimed by the Yemeni militants.
The Houthis, who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians, paused their attacks during a two-month Gaza ceasefire that ended in March, but began again after Israel resumed its military campaign in the territory.
While most of the projectiles have been intercepted, one missile fired in early May hit inside the perimeter of Ben Gurion airport for the first time.
Israel has carried out several strikes in Yemen in retaliation for the attacks, including on ports and the airport in the capital Sanaa.


UN Security Council to discuss Yemen crisis amid Houthi detentions

UN Security Council to discuss Yemen crisis amid Houthi detentions
Updated 5 sec ago

UN Security Council to discuss Yemen crisis amid Houthi detentions

UN Security Council to discuss Yemen crisis amid Houthi detentions
  • The closed session comes after 59 UN staff remain were detained by the Houthis

DUBAI: The UN Security Council will hold closed-door consultations on Yemen on Thursday, focusing on the arbitrary detention of UN personnel by the Houthis.

The closed session comes after 59 UN staff remain were detained following accusations by Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi that UN personnel and humanitarian agencies were spying for Israel and the US, claims the UN has denied.

The detentions and raids on UN premises have raised serious concerns about the safety of UN operations and humanitarian access in Houthi-controlled areas.

The meeting will be briefed by UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg and Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya.

Grundberg has conducted extensive diplomatic efforts to secure the immediate release of detained personnel, meeting officials in Oman, Bahrain, the UAE and , as well as Houthi negotiators and representatives of the Yemeni government.

His discussions have emphasized that arbitrary detentions undermine UN aid delivery and political mediation efforts.

Council members are expected to strongly condemn the detentions, demand the unconditional release of all detainees, and stress that the Houthis respect international humanitarian law.

The briefing is also expected to cover the broader humanitarian crisis in Yemen, including alarming levels of food insecurity, and efforts to advance a sustainable, UN-led political settlement to the conflict.