Yemen’s Houthi movement, which is backed by Iran, announced on Friday that it had launched ballistic missiles at targets in the Israeli city of Eilat. They also issued a threat to continue military operations until Israel halted its offensive in Gaza. The Israeli military reported that its “Arrow” aerial defense system had intercepted a surface-to-surface missile in the Red Sea area on Friday. The Houthis have carried out several attacks on shipping and other targets in the Red Sea area, claiming that these are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians. This has led to concerns that the conflict between Israel and Hamas could spread and destabilize the broader Middle East region. “The Yemeni armed forces will not hesitate to carry out further military operations against the Zionist enemy on land and at sea until the cessation of aggression and lifting of the blockade on the Gaza Strip,” stated the Houthis’ military spokesperson. The US has increased its efforts against the Houthis in order to curb their attacks on commercial shipping. This marks the second time that Israel has employed its Arrow-3 defense system to defend against missile launches from the Houthis. The initial use of the Arrow-3 in November was seen as a landmark event in space warfare and sparked discussions about its potential impact on warfare in the Middle East.
