The Iranian-backed Houthis have claimed responsibility for an attack on Israel. The missile was launched from Yemen and was intercepted.
It is the first time Israel has faced fire from Yemen since the start of the most recent conflict in the Middle East.
The Houthis are a rebel group backed by Tehran who have held Yemen’s capital since 2014, and there are concerns that their involvement could further harm global shipping if they target vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the Red Sea.
Around 12% of the world’s trade passes through the shipping lane.
Iran’s control over the northern side of the Strait of Hormuz has already caused turmoil for the global economy, particularly in terms of oil prices.
Sirens went off around Beer Sheba, a major city in southern Israel, and the area near the country’s main nuclear research centre for the third time overnight Friday into Saturday.
Brigadier General Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the Houthis, made the statement on Saturday morning via the rebels’ Al-Masirah satellite television network.
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