Jerusalem, 4 September, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed a severe response to a Houthi missile attack from Yemen Thursday morning, declaring that Israel would retaliate in full. The missile landed in an open area outside Israeli territory, and no injuries were reported, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.
Katz later wrote on X, referencing the Biblical Exodus: “A plague of darkness, a plague of [death of] the firstborn – we will complete all ten plagues.”
Thursday’s launch marked the Houthis’ third strike on Israel in 24 hours, following two missiles intercepted on Wednesday, one carrying a cluster-munition warhead. Alarms sounded across central Israel at 9:40 a.m., and again at 7:15 p.m. near Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. Ben Gurion Airport briefly closed its airspace.
An IDF spokesperson said Thursday morning’s missile “fell in an open area outside the country’s borders.”
The strikes follow Israeli airstrikes that killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi and several ministers in Sanaa. Saudi reports indicate that remaining Houthi leaders have fled the rebel-held capital, fearing further Israeli retaliation.
Since March 18, when Israel resumed its campaign against Hamas following a temporary ceasefire, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have launched more than 70 ballistic missiles and more than 23 drones at Israel. The majority were either intercepted or fell short of Israeli territory. Since Hamas’ October 7 attack, the terror group has launched more than 200 missiles and 170 drones.
From bases along the Yemeni coast, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have attacked or harassed more than 100 ships in the Red Sea as they traverse the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow maritime choke point between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa.
The majority of the world’s oil passes through the strait from the Indian Ocean toward the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea. Their attacks have brought the Port of Eilat to a standstill.
On July 7, the Houthis attacked and sank the MV Eternity C, a Liberian-flagged vessel. Ten crew members were rescued, six were kidnapped by the Houthis, and five remain unaccounted for. Most of the crew were Filipino.
Related Topics
