Air raid sirens sound in Israel after Houthis launch missile amid calls to stop ‘man-made catastrophe’ in Gaza
The Israeli military said a missile launched by the Houthis in Yemen likely fragmented in mid-air after air raids sound across the country, amid calls for Israel to stop its assault on Gaza.
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Yemen’s Houthi rebels later claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they had carried out three separate operations against Israel.
One of the attacks reportedly includes the launch of a ballistic missile aimed at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.
The claim was made in a televised statement by the group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree.
Read more: David Lammy accuses Israel of causing 'man-made catastrophe' as famine declared in Gaza City
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According to the Israeli military, air defence systems made multiple attempts to intercept the missile during the incident. No injuries or damage were reported, Israeli police confirmed.
The Houthis, who are reportedly backed by Iran and control much of Yemen’s population, have stepped up attacks on Israel and commercial shipping routes in recent months.
They say their operations are carried out in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Most of the missiles and drones launched by the group have either been intercepted by Israel’s defence systems or fallen short of their targets. Israel has responded with a series of retaliatory strikes against Houthi positions.
The latest strikes come amid international condemnation of Israel’s war on Gaza.
On Friday, the international body responsible for monitoring world hunger formally, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), officially stated that famine is taking place in the “Gaza Governorate”.
The area includes Gaza City, which is home to around 500,000 people, surrounding towns and various refugee camps.
British foreign secretary David Lammy described the situation in Gaza as a “moral outrage” as he slammed Israel’s refusal to allow aid into the besieged city.
Lammy called on the Israeli government to "immediately act to stop the situation deteriorating any further"
He described famine in Gaza City as "utterly horrifying and is wholly preventable".
"The Israeli government's refusal to allow sufficient aid into Gaza has caused this man-made catastrophe. This is a moral outrage," he added.
"The IPC report makes clear the sickening consequences, especially for children. The Government of Israel can and must immediately act to stop the situation deteriorating any further."
He called for an "immediate ceasefire" between Israel and Hamas, which has long been the position of the British government.
"This includes halting the military operation in Gaza City, which is the epicentre of the famine," he added.
The IPC is a globally recognised system for determining the severity of food insecurity and malnutrition and has been used to declare just four famines since being created in 2004.
An additional 1.07 million people – more than half of Gaza’s population – are already facing “emergency” levels of food insecurity, the second-highest level on the scale, the briefing continues.
According to the IPC, access to food in Gaza remains "severely constrained" and by July the number of households reporting very severe hunger doubled across the territory compared to May and more than tripled in Gaza City.
The UN has described the situation as "beyond catastrophic".
Rejecting the findings of the UN-backed report, Israel refuted the existence of a famine in Gaza and claimed it was "Hamas lies".
It has also said Gaza will be destroyed if Hamas does not agree to disarm and release all hostages.
Taking to X, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added: “The IPC report is an outright lie.
“Israel does not have a policy of starvation. Israel has a policy of preventing starvation.
“Since the beginning of the war Israel has enabled 2 million tons of aid to enter the Gaza Strip, over one ton of aid per person.”
The Gaza health ministry has said at least 271 people have died of "famine and malnutrition" since Israel launched its assault on the region in October 2023, including 112 children.
53,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks since Hamas launched its October 7 attack, according to health authorities in Gaza.