Houthi Missile Intercepted by Israeli Air Force Over Bethlehem

Israel’s advanced missile defense once again proved its critical role in regional security early Friday morning, when the Israeli Air Force intercepted a ballistic missile launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen. The Arrow 3 hypersonic missile defense system, designed to engage threats outside Earth’s atmosphere, successfully neutralized the projectile over the skies of Bethlehem in Judea, with fragments falling in the nearby Beit Fajar area.

The ballistic attack set off air-raid sirens across parts of Israel shortly after 6:30 a.m., and Ben-Gurion International Airport briefly diverted air traffic before resuming normal operations. While there were no reported injuries, the incident once again underscored the transnational threat posed by the Houthis and their patrons in Tehran.

This morning’s strike also served as a real-world test of the IDF’s new early-warning system. While some users reported receiving alerts through the Home Front Command app, others said they only learned of the threat through media updates. The mixed performance of the system is now under review.

The attack came just hours after a major U.S. airstrike in Yemen, in which American forces destroyed the Ras Isa fuel port a key economic artery for the Houthis located near the port of Hodeidah. According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the strike aimed to cripple the Houthis’ financial lifeline, which is heavily dependent on illegal fuel revenues used to fund military operations and terror activity.

CENTCOM reported that at least 38 people were killed in the strike, including port workers and rescue teams, and more than 100 were injured. The operation marks one of the deadliest in the ongoing American campaign, Operation Rough Rider, which began on March 15 to dismantle Houthi capabilities.

"The Houthis and their Iranian sponsors continue to fund terror through illegal fuel operations," CENTCOM said in a statement. "These profits are not for the Yemeni people they're for weapons, for war, for terror."

The situation reinforces Israel’s need for constant vigilance and defense preparedness, especially as Iran’s regional proxies become more emboldened. While the Arrow 3 system continues to perform with surgical precision, the broader threat landscape in the Middle East is becoming increasingly complex.

As Israel defends its skies, it also strengthens the global front against terror standing firm against those who would threaten peace and freedom.

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