Houthi rocket triggers panic in Israel, Bibi promises reaction

There were no reports of casualties or major damage, but Israeli media showed footage showing people running to shelters at Ben Gurion Airport. The airport authority said it resumed normal operations shortly afterward. A fire was seen in a rural area in central Israel, and local media showed images of what appeared to be shrapnel from an interceptor landing on an escalator at a train station in the city of Modiin.

The Israeli military said it made several attempts to intercept the missile using its multi-stage air defenses, but could not yet say whether any of them were successful. It said the missile appeared to have fragmented in the air and the incident was currently under investigation.

The Yemeni rebels known as the Houthis have repeatedly fired drones and rockets towards Israel since the start of the Gaza war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas, but almost all attacks have been intercepted over the Red Sea.

In July, an Iranian-made drone fired by the Houthis attacked Tel Aviv, killing one person and wounding ten others. Israel responded with a wave of airstrikes on Houthis-controlled areas in Yemen, including the port city of Hodeidah.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at a similar response in a cabinet meeting after the attack. “The Houthis should know by now that we demand a high price for any attempt to harm us,” he said. “Anyone who needs a reminder of this is welcome to visit the port of Hodeidah.” Brigadier General Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the rebels, said they fired a ballistic missile at “a military target” in the Tel Aviv area. Israel said about 40 missiles were fired from Lebanon early Sunday, most of which were intercepted or fell in open terrain.Leaflets about Lebanon
In another incident, Israeli forces dropped leaflets over the Lebanese border town of al-Wazzani calling on residents to evacuate. The military later said there were no evacuation orders and that a local commander had acted without the approval of his superiors. The incident was being investigated, it said.

It is not clear whether someone evacuated the town or whether residents were told the leaflets were dropped in error. The attacks along the Israeli-Lebanese border have displaced tens of thousands of people on both sides. Israel has repeatedly threatened to launch a wider military operation against Hezbollah.