Benjamin Netanyahu warns Houthis will pay ‘heavy price’ after missile lands in Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Houthis, a Shia Islamist political and military organization originating in Yemen, will face a ‘heavy price’ after it fired a missile in his territory.

“They should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us,” Netanyahu was quoted saying by CNN following the attack incident.

The projectile was fired from Yemen toward Israel at 6am local time this morning, according to the Israel Defense Forces who added that it “most likely fragmented in mid-air”, CNN reported.

The missile fell into an open area.

No casualty was reported.

Videos and images shared by the Israel Fire and Rescue Authority on Telegram show large plumes of smoke billowing into the air over an open field, and shattered glass inside a train station in Modi’in, a city between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, reported CNN.

Iran-back Houthi group has confirmed the attack.

A spokesperson of the group warned CNN that Iran should expect more such strikes as the first anniversary of the October 7 attack by Hamas approaches.

Tensions between Israel, Yemen and Lebanon have been escalating for months since the October 7 attack carried out by Hamas.

Following the attack, Israel had launched its invasion of Gaza.

More than 22,500 people – a quarter of those wounded in Gaza since Israel’s offensive began – have life-changing injuries, requiring rehabilitation services “now and for years to come”, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Thursday.

These include severe limb injuries, amputations, spinal cord trauma, traumatic brain injuries and major burns.

Israeli forces pushed into Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in southern Israel.

Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory, highlighted that the surge in rehabilitation needs is occurring alongside the wholesale collapse of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure.

“Patients can’t get the care they need. Acute rehabilitation services are severely disrupted and specialized care for complex injuries is not available, placing patients’ lives at risk. Immediate and long-term support is urgently needed to address the enormous rehabilitation needs.”

Who are Houthis?

An Iranian-backed rebel group, Houthis consider Israel an enemy.

Houthis emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. It is predominantly made up of Zaidi Shias, with their namesake leadership being drawn largely from the Houthi tribe.