Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed to have unleashed a hypersonic ballistic missile to strike central Israel for the first time.

In what marks a major escalation from the Iran-backed militia, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the terrifying missile was launched 2,040km (1,270 miles) in just 11-and-a-half minutes.

Although Israel said the missile didn’t strike its target and no casualties were reported, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would inflict a ‘heavy price’ on the Houthis, who control northern Yemen. After initially saying the missile had fallen in an open area, Israel’s military later said it had probably fragmented in the air, and that pieces of interceptors had landed in fields and near a railway station.

Air raid sirens had sounded in Tel Aviv and across central Israel moments before the impact at around 6.35am local time (3.35am GMT), sending residents running for shelter.  Loud booms were heard as the missile appeared to breach Israel’s Iron Dome and Reuters saw smoke billowing in an open field in central Israel. At a weekly cabinet meeting, almost a year on from the start of the Israel-Hamas war, Netanyahu said the Houthis should have known that Israel would exact a ‘heavy price’ for attacks on Israel.

‘Whoever needs a reminder of that is invited to visit the Hodeida port,’ Netanyahu said, referring to an Israeli retaliatory air strike against Yemen in July for a Houthi drone that hit Tel Aviv.

The Houthis have fired missiles and drones at Israel repeatedly in what they say is solidarity with the Palestinians, since the Gaza war began with a Hamas attack on Israel in October.

The drone that hit Tel Aviv for the first time in July killed a man and wounded four people. Israeli air strikes in response on Houthi military targets near the port of Hodeidah killed six and wounded 80.

Previously, Houthi missiles have not penetrated deep into Israeli air space, with the only one reported to have hit Israeli territory falling in an open area near the Red Sea port of Eilat in March.

Israel should expect more strikes in the future ‘as we approach the first anniversary of the October 7 operation, including responding to its aggression on the city of Hodeidah,’ Sarea said.

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