Israel strikes Yemen's capital after Houthi missile targets central Israel

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed a missile attack Thursday against Israel, which said it intercepted the threat and struck back before warning the Iran-backed movement it would "pay a heavy price".

The Houthis, who control most of Yemen's population centers, have repeatedly launched missiles at Israel since the Gaza war broke out more than a year ago.

The rebels belong to the Iran-backed "axis of resistance," along with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has been weakened after a conflict with Israel and the loss of its Syrian supply line following former president Bashar al-Assad's ouster.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the rebels fired hypersonic ballistic missiles at "two specific and sensitive military targets... in the occupied Yaffa area," referring to the Jaffa region near Tel Aviv.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Houthis they would face serious repercussions.

"After Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Assad regime in Syria, the Houthis are almost the last remaining arm of Iran's axis of evil," he said.

"The Houthis are learning and will learn the hard way, that those who strike Israel will pay a very heavy price for it."

Israel's military had earlier announced the interception of a missile launched from Yemen "before it crossed into Israeli territory."

The launch, as well as the interception, prompted sirens to sound across the parts of Israel.

In the following hours, Israel launched a series of air strikes across Yemen's western coast that Houthi media said struck power stations, oil facilities and a port in Hodeida, killing nine people and wounding others.

Iran denounced the raids as a "flagrant violation of the principles and norms of international law and the U.N. Charter."

Palestinian militant group Hamas, also an ally of the Houthis, called Israel's retaliatory strikes a "dangerous development."

Israel's military said it "conducted precise strikes on Houthi military targets in Yemen -- including ports and energy infrastructure in Sanaa, which the Houthis have been using in ways that effectively contributed to their military actions."

"I warn the leaders of the Houthi terrorist organization: Israel's long arm will reach you too," said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.

- 'Global threat' -

Al-Masira, a media channel belonging to the Houthis, said a series of "aggressive raids" were launched in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida.

It reported raids that "targeted two central power plants" in and around Yemen's capital Sanaa, while in Hodeida it said "the enemy launched four aggressive raids targeting the port... and two raids targeting" an oil facility.

It said strikes on the Al-Saleef port had killed seven people, while two more were killed and others wounded in the strike on the oil facility.

Thursday's missile interception was the second this week, after a launch from Yemen was intercepted by Israel's military on Monday.

That launch was also claimed by the Houthis, who said it was aimed at "a military target of the Israeli enemy in the occupied area of Yaffa."

Also Monday, an Israeli navy missile boat intercepted a drone in the Mediterranean after it was launched from Yemen, the military said.

The Houthi rebels have said they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians and pledged Monday to continue operations "until the aggression on Gaza stops and the siege is lifted."

On December 9, a drone claimed by Houthis exploded on the top floor of a residential building in the central Israel city of Yavne, causing no casualties.

In July, a Houthi drone attack in Tel Aviv killed an Israeli civilian, prompting retaliatory strikes on the Yemeni port of Hodeida.

The Houthis have also regularly targeted shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, leading to retaliatory strikes on Houthi targets by United States and sometimes British forces.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the group had become a "global threat," pointing to Iran's support for the rebels.

"We will continue to act against anyone, anyone in the Middle East, that threatens the state of Israel," he said.