Houthi missile strike injures more than a dozen in Tel Aviv

Reuters A man in a khaki uniform stands in a playground in front of a block of flats, looking down at a crater in the groundReuters
The Israeli military says the projectile landed in a public park

A Houthi missile strike has injured more than a dozen people in Tel Aviv, Israel.

The Israeli military said attempts to shoot down a projectile launched from Yemen had been unsuccessful and it landed in a public park early on Saturday.

A Houthi military spokesman said the group hit a military target using a hypersonic ballistic missile.

The Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group that controls north-western Yemen, began attacking Israel and international shipping shortly after the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians.

Israel's military says about 400 missiles and drones have been launched at the country from Yemen since then, most of which have been shot down.

After the missile strike early on Saturday, Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's emergency medical service, said it treated 16 people who were "mildly injured" by glass shards from shattered windows in nearby buildings.

Another 14 people who suffered minor injuries on their way to protected areas were also treated, it said.

Earlier this week, Israel conducted a series of strikes against what it said were Houthi military targets, hitting ports as well as energy infrastructure in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported that nine people were killed in the port of Salif and the Ras Issa oil terminal.

The Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks until the war in Gaza ends.