Israel intercepts two missiles launched by Yemen's Houthis

By Jana Choukeir

DUBAI (Reuters) - The Israeli military said on Thursday it had intercepted two missiles launched from Yemen before they crossed into Israeli territory, after sirens sounded in several areas in Israel including Jerusalem.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis have been launching missiles and drones at Israel in support of Hamas fighters. The United States has been striking Houthi strongholds in Yemen since March 15, with President Donald Trump vowing to hold Iran responsible for any attacks carried out by the group.

The Houthis said later on Thursday that they had launched two missiles, one of which they said was hypersonic, towards Israel's main air gateway, Ben Gurion airport, and an unspecified military target in the Tel Aviv area.

The group also claimed to have launched missiles and drones towards warships in the Red Sea, including the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier.

Italy's ITA Airways said it had to divert one of its flights because of the missiles, and that the flight landed in Tel Aviv safely.

The Houthis are an armed movement that has taken control of the most populous parts of Yemen despite nearly a decade of Saudi-led bombing.

The group is also part of what Iran calls the "Axis of Resistance" - a network of anti-Israel, anti-Western regional militias that also includes the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah, whose capabilities Israel significantly reduced in an air and ground campaign last year.

(Reporting by Jana Choukeir, Alvise Armellini; Writing by Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Aidan Lewis, Peter Graff)