Fragments from a ballistic missile interception at a home in Har Gilo, Jan. 3, 2025.
Photo: Sourced from social media, used under section 27A of the copyright law.
The Houthi terrorists in Yemen fired another ballistic missile at Israel in the early morning hours on Friday, once again sending millions of Israelis scrambling to their shelters in the middle of the night.
The Israel Defense Forces reported that they shot down the missile but that it managed to reach Israeli airspace before being intercepted, contrary to most previous Houthi attacks.
דובר צה”ל:
בהמשך להתרעות שהופעלו לפני זמן קצר במרכז הארץ ובדרומה, יורט טיל מתימן שחצה לשטח הארץ.
התקבל דיווח על נפילת שבר יירוט באיזור מודיעין, הפרטים בבדיקה. pic.twitter.com/SCyBYtM8jm
— Or Heller אור הלר (@OrHeller) January 3, 2025
One part of the intercepted missile landed in Modi’in and allegedly exploded, according to yet-unconfirmed social media footage. There were no reports of injuries or significant damage caused by the missile attack.
Another large piece of shrapnel landed in the yard of a home in Har Gilo, north of Jerusalem. Koren Gabai, one of the residents, told Ynet News that she and her family didn’t immediately understand that something had struck their house.
“We heard the alarm, ran to the emergency room and at some point we heard an explosion and felt the house shake. I called my grandmother who lives near us and she said everything was fine. At 7 in the morning, we went out and saw the missile. It’s scary, a hole in the floor, stones all over the yard, everything around is broken.”
אחרי הירי מתימן הלילה: שבר יירוט ענק התגלה בחצר בית בהר גילה ליד ירושלים pic.twitter.com/eCLYarLdJF
— ישראל היום (@IsraelHayomHeb) January 3, 2025
While the interceptions deprive the missiles of most of their destructive potential, large parts falling back to earth afterward can still wreak havoc.
Two weeks ago, a missile part fell on a school building in Ramat Gan after an interception, destroying large portions of the structure.
Although the attack caused no direct physical injuries, 12 people were hurt while rushing to a shelter, and nine others were treated for acute anxiety, according to the Magen David Adom rescue services.
The Houthi missile launch triggered alarms across central Israel, marking the first time the Greater Tel Aviv and Jerusalem areas were alerted simultaneously.
The IDF told Israeli media that it was investigating and fixing a malfunction on the Home Front Command’s website and Telegram channel, which did not show all the areas where alarms were triggered.
Several hours later, the Houthi terror group followed up its attack by launching a drone toward Israel, which the IDF said was shot down outside of Israeli territory and, therefore, did not trigger any sirens.
As of the beginning of December, the Houthis have fired 12 ballistic missiles and at least 10 drones at Israel.
They have persisted in their attacks despite escalating Israeli threats, as well as three series of Israeli airstrikes and numerous strikes initiated by the U.S.-led coalition protecting the international shipping lanes off the Yemeni coast.
