Yemen's Houthi rebels launched its second hypersonic missile attack on Israel in just days, striking the Tel Aviv area early Saturday morning. The attack marked a rare instance where a hypersonic weapon overwhelmed Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system, underscoring the challenges posed by these new ultra-fast missiles.
"Between the Yemeni Armed Forces regarding the implementation of a military operation targeting a military target of the Israeli enemy in the occupied Jaffa area with a hypersonic ballistic missile Palestine 2," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced on X.
Footage post on X shows the failed interception of the hypersonic missile by the Iron Dome system.
Different angle of failed IDF interception of Houthi hypersonic missile
— RT (@RT_com) December 21, 2024
The missile made a direct hit near a playground in central Tel Aviv in Israel https://t.co/yE6P38WGIK pic.twitter.com/2QmazD1rdW
Here's another view.
🇾🇪☝️A pitiful attempt at interception by the Timfoil Dome on Yemen's Hypersonic missiles🚀🚀🚀💥💥💥 pic.twitter.com/mJGHLZniZU
— Ellen Jean Abare (@EllenJeanAbare) December 21, 2024
And another.
⚡️ 🔴Hypersonic ballistic missile hits central Tel Aviv at tremendous speed
— Middle East Observer (@ME_Observer_) December 21, 2024
The warriors from Yemen are undererred https://t.co/PAW3LauuSC pic.twitter.com/FMw9Rv7kCl
No fatalities were reported, but The Jerusalem Post stated that emergency services treated 16 people who were injured by glass shards following the missile impact. Israeli police confirmed that property damage had also occurred.
According to Reuters, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 25 people in Gaza on Friday. This hypersonic attack on Israel via Houthis could be in response to those airstrikes. Also, earlier in the week, Houthis launched two hypersonic missiles targeting military sites in the Jaffa region.
This week's exchange of strikes between the Iranian-backed Houthis and Israel shows how exactly the next major conflict will play out, especially with the use of hypersonic weapons.
"Future wars are all about drones & hypersonic missiles," Elon Musk wrote on X last month, while commenting on a Joe Rogan podcast with Marc Andreessen.
Future wars are all about drones & hypersonic missiles.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 26, 2024
Fighter jets piloted by humans will be destroyed very quickly.
pic.twitter.com/LpjptIsob1
The Free Press' Jay Solomon recently asked: "Is World War III Already Here?"