Israeli army says intercepted missile fired from Yemen

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen toward Israel.

Israel's national emergency service, Magen David Adom, on Friday, 18 July said it did not receive reports of hits or casualties.

The IDF detected the launch and issued a smartphone application alert. After about five minutes, sirens were activated in areas including the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and West Jerusalem, Xinhua news agency reported.

Following the launch, Ben Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv was temporarily closed to takeoffs and landings.

The previous launch of a missile from Yemen toward Israel was on Wednesday evening, with sirens activated in the Dead Sea region in southeastern Israel. The missile was also intercepted by the IDF.

Yemen's Houthi group later claimed responsibility for the missile attack on Wednesday. 

Earlier on Tuesday, Israel had intercepted a drone launched by the Houthi forces in Yemen toward its Red Sea city of Eilat.

"The IAF (Israel Air Force) intercepted a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) that was launched from Yemen," said the Israeli military in a statement.

There were no reports of injuries or damage, and the Houthis did not immediately comment.

Houthi forces have fired dozens of missiles and drones toward Israel since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, citing solidarity with the Palestinians. Most of the projectiles have been intercepted or have missed their targets.

In response, Israel has carried out a series of strikes on ports and other infrastructure in Yemen.