The Arrow aerial defense system intercepted a surface-to-surface missile in the Red Sea area on Friday that was fired by Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthi movement towards Eilat, the IDF announced.
Houthis have launched a series of attacks on shipping and other targets in the Red Sea area in what they describe as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians – stoking fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread to destabilize the wider Middle East.
The Houthis have also fired several ballistic missiles and drones at Eilat, but all of the projectiles have been intercepted or missed their target.
“The Yemeni armed forces will not hesitate to carry out further military operations against the Zionist enemy on land and at sea until the cessation of aggression and lifting of the blockade on the Gaza Strip,” the Houthis’s military spokesperson said.
A school was hit in Eilat in November by drones launched by an Iran-backed group in Syria.
US steps up operations
The US has stepped up operations against the Houthis in a recent bid to bring their attack on commercial shipping under control.
This is the second time Israel has activated its Arrow-3 defense system to protect against missile launches from the Houthis.
The first instance of Arrow-3 usage in November was hailed as the first instance of space warfare, with discussion as to how it may change warfare in the Middle East.