Israeli emergency services work at the scene of a missile strike that, according to Israel's military, was launched from Yemen and landed in Jaffa, south of Tel Aviv, Dec. 21, 2024. The Yemen-based Houthi militant group fired a ballistic missile at the Tel Aviv area on Dec. 25.
The Yemen-based Houthi militant group said Wednesday it fired a ballistic missile at the Tel Aviv area in central Israel, an attack that prompted air raid sirens to sound but caused no damage.
Israel’s military said it intercepted the missile before it crossed into Israeli territory.
The missile was the second in the span of two days launched by the Houthis and the latest in a campaign they say is in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
In addition to launching missiles at Israel, the Houthis have also disrupted the key shipping routes in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden with attacks against ships.
Israeli officials have become more direct in their rhetoric toward the Houthis in recent days, pledging to take action against the Iran-backed group.
Hostage deaths
The presence of Israeli troops inadvertently contributed to the deaths in August of six hostages held in Gaza, according to the results of an investigation by the Israeli military released Tuesday.
The six hostages, including Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were taken by Hamas militants during the October 7, 2023, raid on Israel. They were killed by Hamas after nearly 330 days in captivity.
The military\’s report found that "ground activities in the area, although gradual and cautious, had a circumstantial influence on the terrorists\’ decision" to kill the six hostages.
Their bodies were found 48 to 72 hours later in a tunnel in late August, the report said.
The military was operating in that area of southern Gaza because the likelihood that hostages were there was considered medium to low, the report said.
"The investigation published tonight proves once again that the return of all hostages will only be possible through a deal," the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement on Tuesday.
Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in their 2023 attack on southern Israel and took about 250 others hostage. There are still around 100 hostages still being held in Gaza, though at least one-third are believed to be dead.
Israel\’s counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 45,300 people, according to the Gaza health ministry. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and fighters in its count.
The United States, United Kingdom, European Union and others have designated Hamas as a terror group.
Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
By：VOA
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