Yemen's Houthi rebels welcomed news of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in Gaza even as a “last-minute crisis” with Hamas was reported to be holding up Israeli approval of the long-awaited ceasefire agreement.

Part of Iran’s “axis of resistance”, the Houthis have repeatedly launched missile and drone attacks on Israel since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians.

A missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has targeted central Israel, sounding sirens and causing people to flee into bomb shelters. The Israeli military said several attempts were made to intercept a missile that was launched from Yemen and “the missile was likely intercepted”.

U.S. Central Command attacked Houthi targets in Yemen on Wednesday, marking the first U.S. strikes against the Iran-proxy militia in 2025.

The Israeli military on Saturday said it intercepted a rocket from Yemen, one day before a ceasefire with the Palestinian militant group Hamas is set to take effect. Residents rushed to shelters as alerts sounded in Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel.

The Iranian-backed Houthis carried out two attacks on Israel on January 18, the eve of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. This is an important symbol of how the Houthis intend to show that they have not been deterred by Israel’s strikes and they are prepared to continue to attack Israel if the ceasefire falls apart.