Yemen's Huthis say they targeted Israel with missile

The Iran-backed rebels "carried out a targeting operation against a vital target" in the Tel Aviv area using a "hypersonic missile", a Huthi statement said.

An Israeli armed forces statement said: "One projectile launched from Yemen was intercepted by the IAF prior to its crossing into Israeli territory."

The projectile was shot down after sirens had sounded in various areas of central Israel in the early morning, the Israeli statement said.

The Huthis said they launched a Palestine 2 missile, which they describe as a hypersonic ballistic missile that is manufactured in Yemen.

Yemen's Huthi rebels, part of Iran's "axis of resistance" against Israel and the United States, have periodically fired drones and missiles at Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza war.

The Huthis have also waged a harassment campaign against shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden during the Gaza war, severely disrupting the vital trade route.