Houthis claim ‘Palestine 2’ missile hit Israeli military base

Credit: X/ @Bashareport

Houthi rebels claim to have hit an Israeli military base with a ballistic missile in the wake of US strikes against its strongholds.

The Iran-backed militia announced a “hypersonic ballistic missile”, known as the Palestine 2, was used in the strike on the Nahal Sorek military base in central Israel, between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

“The hit was accurate, and led to a fire ignition in the vicinity of the targeted site,” they added. The facility is home to a major ammunition centre.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it had intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Yemen before it entered Israeli airspace.

Firefighters were battling blazes in west Jerusalem that the military said was sparked by debris from the intercepted missile.

It marked the second missile attack claimed by the Houthis in recent days after the group claimed to have targeted Nevatim air base in southern Israel on Nov 8 with a ballistic missile. Israel said the projectile was successfully intercepted.

Houthis claim UK involvement

It follows US air strikes over the weekend on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including the capital, Sana’a.

Houthi media claimed the UK was also involved in the attacks, but there has been no official confirmation.

The Pentagon told the AFP news agency that advanced weapons storage facilities had been targeted in the raids.

The US_UK joint strikes, which started in January, are part of an ongoing effort to quash the group which since last November has been carrying out a blockade on global shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The Houthis say the attacks are in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both Iranian terror proxies. Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel on Oct 8, in solidarity with Hamas, sparking a wider conflict around Israel’s borders.

Since November, dozens of international seamen have been taken hostage, ships sunk or captured, and four men killed as the Houthis try to force a ceasefire in Gaza and end the war sparked by Hamas’s Oct 7 massacre.

The Houthis have launched multiple direct attacks against Israel, including one in July which narrowly missed the US embassy on the Tel Aviv beach front, hitting a nearby residential building and killing one person.

‘Netanyahu approved pager attacks’

On Monday, Lebanon’s Hezbollah fired at least 75 projectiles at Israel, according to the IDF, as their war of attrition continued.

The fresh strikes came as Omer Dostri, Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesman, revealed the prime minister had approved the pager attacks against Hezbollah in September.

Until now, the attacks – which saw thousands of communication devices used by the group simultaneously explode, killing around 39 and injuring 3,400 – had remained unclaimed.

Mr Netanyahu reportedly approved the plot against the advice of senior defence and political figures. Hezbollah branded it the “biggest security breach” in its history.

Meanwhile, Gideon Sa’ar, the Israeli foreign minister, said the country’s first priority for security is preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

In his first news conference, he said: “The most important issue for the future of this region and the security of the State of Israel is to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.”

As Israel awaits the return of Donald Trump, the US president-elect, known for his tough stance on Iran, Mr Sa’ar said: “I am sure that we can work together with the US to stabilise the region and to secure its future.”

Mr Sa’ar was named the new minister to replace Israel Katz last week, who moved to the role of defence minister following the dramatic sacking of Yoav Gallant after clashes with Mr Netanyahu.

The long-time political figure was brought back to government at the end of September so Mr Netanyahu could bolster the right-wing coalition.

Iran has reached 60% uranium enrichment which is deemed enough to create nuclear weapons. Raphael Grossi, the UN’s nuclear chief, is visiting Tehran on Wednesday as one third of the UN’s inspectors remain barred from the country.

Meanwhile, the IDF revealed a significant decline in the rate of reserve soldiers showing up for duty in combat units fighting in Gaza and the north in recent weeks.

The turnout rate has dropped by 15 to 25 per cent since the start of the war, the military said, attributing the trend to battle exhaustion.