Israel intercepts missile from Yemen after airstrikes on Houthi port

Israeli forces intercepted a ground-to-ground rocket fired from Yemen, the Israel Defense Forces said. said in a short statement posted on social media on Sunday.

The rocket did not land on Israeli territory, but “missile and rocket fire warnings” were issued amid concerns about shrapnel falling on Israeli civilians, the Israeli military said.

While it was not immediately clear who fired the rocket, a Houthis military spokesman vowed retaliation for Israeli airstrikes on Saturday on Hodeida, a port city in Yemen controlled by the Houthis. Spokesman Yahya Saree said the Israeli strikes hit the port, a power plant and a fuel tank.

The Israeli strikes were a direct response to a rare drone attack on Tel Aviv on Friday, for which the Houthis claimed responsibility. The attack killed one person and occurred just meters from a branch of the U.S. embassy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s response to the drone strike “has made it clear to our enemies that there is no place that the long arm of the State of Israel will not reach.”

Since the war in Gaza began last October, the Houthis have been attacking ships sailing along Yemen’s coast. The attacks are aimed at convincing Israel to end its military operations in Gaza, the group says. A US-led naval task force has responded to the attacks but has failed to stop them.