'Panic' as 'hypersonic' missile fired from Yemen hits central Israel for first time

Israel has been left on high alert after a ballistic missile fired from more than 1,000 miles away in Yemen reached the centre of the country for the first time

People were seen rushing to shelters as air raid sirens were sounded in central regions of the country at around 6.30am local time on Sunday, including at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport.

Loud booms were also heard, which the Israeli military said came from missile interceptors as they tried to shoot it down.

Israeli officials said parts from the missile fell in an unpopulated "open area" in Kfar Daniel, about 4 miles (7km) from Ben Gurion Airport, and that no injuries had been reported.

Other parts landed on an escalator in a train station in the central town of Modiin.

Israeli military said the missile "most likely fragmented in mid-air".

A spokesperson for the Houthis, who control large areas of Yemen, claimed responsibility and warned Israel it should expect "more strikes and specific operations to come".

Sunday's incident is believed to be the first time a surface-to-surface missile fired from Yemen has reached Israel.

Houthi spokesman Nasruddin Amer said the weapon used was a "new hypersonic ballistic missile" that "the enemy's defence systems failed to intercept and confront".

He added: "It crossed a distance of 2,040km in 11-and-a-half minutes, and caused a state of fear and panic among the Zionists, as more than two million Zionists headed to shelters for the first time in the history of the Israeli enemy...

"The geographical challenges, the American-British aggression, and the monitoring, espionage and interception systems will not prevent beloved Yemen from performing its religious, moral and humanitarian duty in solidarity with the Palestinian people."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Houthis would pay a "heavy price" for the attack.

He also told a cabinet meeting on Sunday that the current situation would "not continue".

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The Iran-aligned Houthis have been carrying out military action since last October in an attempt to pressure Israel to end its assault in Gaza, including via attacks on shipping in the Red Sea region.

In July, a Houthi drone attack also killed one person and wounded four in Tel Aviv. It prompted Israel to carry out air strikes on Yemen which killed six people and injured 80.

Houthi targeting of shipping in the Red Sea has continued this summer despite the US and UK also carrying out bombing raids on Yemen in an attempt to halt the attacks.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Gaza's Hamas-run health health ministry announced more than 41,000 Palestinians had now been killed since Israel launched its offensive in the territory.

Officials said more than 95,000 others had also been injured.

It comes just weeks before the one-year anniversary of the 7 October attacks, in which Hamas fighters killed around 1,200 Israelis and took about 250 people hostage.