On the morning of April 18, 2025, at around 06:40 local time, rocket warning sirens sounded in Jerusalem, central Israel, the Sharon district and the coastal lowland. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that its air defense system successfully intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Yemen before it entered the country's airspace. According to preliminary information, there were no casualties or damage. The Yemeni group Ansar Allah (Houthis), which links its actions to its support for the Palestinian movement in Gaza, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The rocket attack was the Houthis’ response to a massive US military strike on their facilities in Yemen carried out hours earlier. US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the operation targeted a strategic fuel terminal at the Red Sea port of Ras Isa, which has been a key source of funding for the group. The US military said the strike was aimed at undermining the Houthis’ economic base, which uses revenues from the port to buy weapons and carry out attacks. Houthi-controlled sources reported dozens of deaths in the attack, including port workers, and extensive damage to infrastructure.

The escalation in the region comes as the Houthis continue to target Israel and international shipping. Since October 2023, the group has carried out more than 100 attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, according to Reuters, forcing major companies such as Maersk and MSC to reroute their shipping routes through the Cape of Good Hope. This has increased logistics costs and exacerbated a crisis in global trade, as about 15% of global shipping passes through the Red Sea. The Houthis say they are targeting ships linked to Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom, but unrelated vessels are often hit.

The US strike on Ras Isa was part of a campaign launched in March 2025 after the Gaza ceasefire collapsed, the BBC reported. According to CENTCOM, the port provided up to 80% of fuel supplies to Houthi-controlled areas, and its destruction was intended to limit their military mobility. However, Yemen's Houthi-controlled Health Ministry claims that at least 17 people were killed and dozens injured in the attack, sparking protests in Sanaa. Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has vowed to continue attacks on Israel and US ships, calling the US actions "aggression against the Yemeni people."

Israel, for its part, has stepped up security. According to The Jerusalem Post, after the morning alarm in the area of ​​Ben Gurion Airport, temporary flight restrictions were imposed, and one El Al flight was diverted. The IDF also confirmed that the missile was intercepted jointly with American air defense systems, which underlines the close cooperation between the two countries in countering threats from the Houthis. Earlier, on April 13, the Houthis announced an attack on Ben Gurion Airport and the Sdot Micha military base using a Palestine-2 hypersonic missile, but the IDF reported a successful interception.