Eyewitnesses heard a loud explosion in the atmosphere of the Red Sea, near the city of Eilat in the Gulf of Aqaba (Getty)
The Israeli army said that its air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Yemen over the Red Sea, which was on its way to Israel.
According to the army statement, the “Arrow/Hetz” long-range anti-missile system intercepted the missile and shot it down before it reached its target.
Eyewitnesses indicated that they heard a loud explosion in the atmosphere of the Red Sea, near the city of Eilat in the Gulf of Aqaba, suspected to have been caused by the launching of the "Haetz" anti-missile system, which intercepted the missile and exploded it in the air.
American-British bombing
On the other hand, the Houthi group announced on Friday that the United States and Britain carried out an attack on Hajjah Governorate, northwest of Yemen.
The Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah satellite channel said on its news tape: “An American-British aggression targets the Al-Jar area in the Abs District in Hajjah Governorate with four raids,” without further details.
A picture published by the US Army Central Command of aircraft preparing to launch attacks on Yemeni areas (archive, French)
Hajjah Governorate is mostly under the control of the Houthis, and is linked to a land border with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. There has been no American or British comment regarding the bombing announced by the group yet.
On Wednesday, the group’s leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, said in a televised speech that “the American and British strikes on Yemen are a failure and have no effect, and will not limit our military capabilities,” pledging “to continue attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden until the Israeli aggression stops and the siege on the Gaza Strip is lifted.” ".
At an intermittent pace since last January 12, a US-led coalition has launched raids that it says target "Houthi sites" in various regions of Yemen, in response to its attacks in the Red Sea, which was met with a threat from the group that it "will not go unanswered."
Yemeni demonstrations
In a related context, tens of thousands of Yemenis participated in a massive demonstration in the capital, Sanaa, and a number of governorates under the control of the Houthis, including Hajjah Governorate. The demonstrators came out in response to a call from the Houthi leader to demonstrate "in support of Gaza, and in support of the armed group's attacks against Israeli ships in the Red Sea."
The demonstrators chanted slogans denouncing the American-British strikes, and the group’s slogans calling for “death to America and Israel.”
On December 18, the United States announced the formation of the “Guardian of Prosperity” coalition of several countries, in order to deter Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
In "solidarity with Gaza," which has been subjected to a devastating Israeli war with American support since October 7, the Houthis are targeting, with missiles and drones, cargo ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea, which has negatively affected the movement of shipping, trade, and supply.
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies