Alarms were activated overnight Friday in Jerusalem and Israel’s central region following a missile that was launched from Yemen. According to the IDF, this was a single launch that was intercepted in the Jerusalem area after crossing into Israeli territory.
Initially, the IDF said that it was unknown whether the multiple attempts to intercept the missile were successful as it was crossing over Israeli territory. Shortly afterward, the IDF confirmed that the missile had been intercepted and that fragments from the interception fell in the Modi’in area. In addition, a fragment fell on someone’s porch in Har Gilo, south of Jerusalem.
איזור בית לחם- רסיס טיל נפל בחצר בית מתנחלים בהתנחלות ״הר גילה״ בסמוך לבית לחם pic.twitter.com/D3WlJlNvCU
— رسالة – רסאלה (@RISALA_2) January 3, 2025
The MDA Spokesperson reported that MDA teams have been dispatched to treat 12 people who were injured on their way to shelter and 9 individuals suffering from panic attacks.
Friday morning’s launch followed repeated Houthi launches into Israel over the past few weeks, which has become a veritable routine in some areas across the country. Late last week, alarms were sounded for the first time in the Jerusalem area following a missile from Yemen, and this is the second launch targeting the capital.
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, citing a source close to the Houthis, reported that Oman has initiated mediation efforts on behalf of the United States seeking a resolution on the Yemeni front, particularly should a ceasefire in Gaza were not achieved—the only scenario that would halt the Houthi attacks according to the Houthis.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi’s recent visit to Iran was reportedly part of these mediation efforts. The visit aimed to establish a broad framework for an agreement in Yemen, potentially bringing an end to the Houthis’ “aid front for Gaza” before the Biden administration leaves the stage. However, a political source in Sanaa told Al-Akhbar, “Our stance on Gaza remains steadfast and is as firm as it was a year ago.”
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) in Washington, DC, citing US intelligence sources, has reported that Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen are employing Chinese-made weapons in their attacks on Red Sea shipping. In return, the Houthis have reportedly agreed to refrain from targeting Chinese vessels.
According to Israel’s i24 News, following visits by Houthi leaders to China in 2023 and 2024 to establish a supply network, the group secured access to “advanced components and guidance equipment” for their missile systems. The report suggests that the Houthis intend to use these Chinese components to manufacture hundreds of cruise missiles capable of striking targets across Persian Gulf states.
Israel recently carried out a large-scale attack on several locations throughout Yemen, including the international airport in the capital Sanaa and the seaport in Hodeidah, but this does not appear to have shaken the Houthis’ desire to continue their attempts to annoy the residents of Israel in the middle of their REM sleep.
