‘Terrifying’: Israelis Recall ‘Deafening Explosion’ From Houthi Missile Strike on Tel Aviv

Israelis living in the Tel Aviv area recounted to The Algemeiner the panic they felt with virtually no warning time to head into bomb shelters before a missile from the Houthi rebels in Yemen hit near their homes over the weekend.

A ballistic missile launched by the Iran-backed group struck a playground in Tel Aviv, injuring at least 16 people and causing damage to nearby homes — the second attack in as many days — after several interception attempts by Israel’s air defense systems failed.

The Houthis — an internationally designated terrorist organization — claimed responsibility for the launch, stating that the missile, to which they referred as “Palestine 2,” accurately hit its target and that Israeli defense systems were unable to intercept it. The terrorist group declared that the attack was in retaliation for “the massacres against our brothers in Gaza.”

Jaffa resident Meital Cohen described the harrowing moments when the missile strike woke her and her young children. “We were just getting ready to head downstairs to the [building’s] bomb shelter with the kids,” she told The Algemeiner. “Suddenly, there was a deafening explosion. The [window] glass shattered and flew into the house.”

The blast was particularly alarming, Cohen said, as her children were still in rooms close to the area impacted. “It was terrifying,” Cohen said, “because it felt like the building might have been directly hit, and I was petrified for the children.”

No one was injured, although the explosion caused significant panic and the windows of her home blew out.

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Another neighbor, Sylvia, who declined to give her last name, said it was “truly miraculous” that the missile struck a tiny playground located in between a dense cluster of residential buildings. “A few meters to the left or a few hours later, it would have been a very different story.”

Sylvia noted that it was the “second time that such a miracle had occurred” in recent days.

Overnight between Thursday and Friday, the Houthis launched another missile toward the center of Israel, and this time the projectile was only partially intercepted. The warhead crashed into a school in the city of Ramat Gan, outside Tel Aviv, causing one building to collapse and severe damage to another. Children were due to arrive at the school hours after the missile impacted.

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This attack adds to a series of assaults by the group on Israel since October 2023, including the launch of over 200 missiles and 170 attack drones.

Israel’s multi-layered air defense system, designed to counter a variety of aerial threats, includes the Iron Dome for short-range rockets, David’s Sling for medium-range missiles, and the Arrow system for long-range ballistic missiles. Nevertheless, the recent failure to intercept the Houthi missile has raised concerns about potential gaps in Israel’s defensive capabilities, prompting the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to announce that it was initiating a thorough investigation into the incident.

Experts attributed the failure of Israel’s missile defense systems to significant advancements in Houthi missile technology. Modifications, including reduced explosive payloads and increased fuel capacity, have extended their range, allowing them to reach Tel Aviv, a stark escalation from earlier strikes limited to Eilat in southern Israel — a closer target. Additionally, maneuverable warheads — likely developed in Iran — detach mid-flight and alter their trajectory, making them harder to intercept.

In response to the attack, the Israeli Air Force conducted retaliatory strikes targeting Houthi positions in Yemen, including strategic locations such as the port of Hodeidah and the capital city, Sana’a. US forces also conducted multiple airstrikes against Houthi positions with the aim of degrading the Houthis’ offensive capabilities and ensuring the security of vital maritime routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel would take forceful action against the Houthis as it had done with Hezbollah, another Iran-backed terrorist organization, in Lebanon.

“Just as we acted forcefully against the terrorist arms of Iran’s axis of evil, so we will act against the Houthis,” he said.

“We will act with strength, determination and sophistication. I tell you that even if it takes time, the result will be the same,” he added.

מכתש בגן שעשועים: זירת הנפילה במרכז. pic.twitter.com/kn4gZmWaf2

— אור רביד | Or Ravid (@OrRavid) December 21, 2024

One day after Netanyahu’s statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Monday that the military shot down an attack drone launched by the Houthis from Yemen before it crossed into Israeli territory.

The Houthis have been waging an insurgency in Yemen for two decades in a bid to overthrow the Yemeni government. They have controlled a significant portion of the country’s land in the north and along the Red Sea since 2014, when they captured it in the midst of a civil war.

The Yemeni terrorist group began disrupting global trade in a major way with their attacks on shipping in the busy Red Sea corridor after the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s massacre across southern Israel last Oct. 7, arguing their aggression was a show of support for Palestinians in Gaza.

The Houthi rebels — whose slogan is “death to America, death to Israel, curse the Jews, and victory to Islam” — have said they will target all ships heading to Israeli ports, even if they do not pass through the Red Sea.

Since Hamas’s Oct. 7 onslaught, which launched the ongoing war in Gaza, Houthi terrorists in Yemen have also routinely launched missiles toward Israel.

The US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) released a report in July revealing how Iran has been “smuggling weapons and weapons components to the Houthis.” The report noted that the Houthis used Iranian-supplied ballistic and cruise missiles to conduct over a hundred land attacks on Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and within Yemen, as well as dozens of attacks on merchant shipping.

While the Houthis have increasingly targeted Israeli soil in recent months, they have primarily attacked ships in the Red Sea, a key trade route, raising the cost of shipping and insurance. Shipping firms have been forced in many cases to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa to avoid passing near Yemen, having a major global economic impact.

In September, the Houthis’ so-called “defense minister,” Mohamed al-Atifi, said that the Yemeni rebels were prepared for a “long war” against Israel and its allies.

“The Yemeni Army holds the key to victory, and is prepared for a long war of attrition against the usurping Zionist regime, its sponsors, and allies,” he was quoted as saying by Iranian state-owned media

“Our struggle against the Nazi Zionist entity is deeply rooted in our beliefs. We are well aware of the fact that this campaign is a sacred and religious duty that requires tremendous sacrifices,” added Atifi, who has been sanctioned by the US government.

Beyond Israeli targets, the Houthis have threatened and in some cases actually attacked US and British ships, leading the two Western allies to launch retaliatory strikes multiple times against Houthi targets in Yemen.

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