TEHRAN- Ansarullah forces have claimed responsibility for a ballistic missile attack targeting the area of “Jaffa (Tel Aviv) in occupied Palestine’’.

According to Brigadier-General Yahya Saree, the spokesperson for the Sana’a government’s Armed Forces, the missile forces, carried out a special military operation targeting an ‘’Israeli military objective in the area of Jaffa (Tel Aviv) in occupied Palestine’’.

In a televised statement, Saree underlined that the operation was executed by “using a new hypersonic ballistic missile, which, by the grace of God, successfully reached its target.’’

The Yemeni ballistic missile attack triggered sirens across central Israel and has led some experts to believe the missile may have carried cluster munitions.

The Yemeni military spokesperson said Ansarullah has made great efforts in developing missile technology to adapt to the battle and reach enemy targets, emphasizing that this "advanced technology is capable of bypassing all land and sea-based defense systems."
Saree added that the enemy's defenses failed to intercept it. 

‘’The missile covered a distance of approximately 2,040 kilometers in 11 and a half minutes, causing widespread fear and panic among the Zionists, with over two million of them seeking shelter in bunkers for the first time in the history of the Israeli enemy.’’

The strike marks the first time a missile fired by Ansarullah has reached central Israel, which is around 2,000km (1,240 miles) from Yemen, BBC reported.

Experts say the missile is ten times the speed of sound and was a hypersonic missile that has not entered the battlefield to date. This has led analysts to believe that the damage caused by the operation is much higher than what the Israelis are saying publicly.  

The missile also crossed the defense systems of CENTCOM, which has pledged to prevent such missiles from reaching Israel. 

Reports suggest the hypersonic missile had reached Israel after “20 missiles failed to intercept” it. 

Hypersonic missiles are one of the most advanced technologies in the world today, combining high speed and maneuverability, making them a significant challenge even for countries with the most advanced defense systems.

Israeli officials have offered conflicting accounts with some claiming the missile was intercepted over the airspace of Tel Aviv, which experts say means the missile reached Tel Aviv despite all the layers of air defense systems surrounding the Israeli commercial hub. 

Based on the images and videos that have gone viral, several areas appear to have been burned in the aftermath of the operation.  

Ansarullah has stated that its operation comes as part of the fifth phase and is a culmination of the efforts of the Yemeni missile forces, who made ‘’tremendous efforts in developing missile technology to meet the demands and challenges of the battle with the Zionist enemy. The missile successfully reached its target, overcoming all obstacles and interception systems on land and sea, including American and Israeli systems, among others.’’

Saree said geographical barriers as well as “American and British aggression, and monitoring, spying, and defense systems will not prevent Yemen from fulfilling its religious, moral, and humanitarian duty in supporting the Palestinian people.’’

In a warning to Tel Aviv, Saree added that ‘’the Israeli enemy should expect more upcoming strikes and special operations, especially as we approach the first anniversary of October 7. These include responses to its criminal aggression on the city of Hodeideh and continued support for the oppressed Palestinian people.’’

Following the strike on Tel Aviv, videos went viral on social media of an electricity station on fire amid the sound of air raids sirens being heard in the background. 

On 20 July 2024, Israeli forces launched an attack on Hodeideh Port in Yemen, setting oil storage facilities on fire. Ansarullah pledged to retaliate but it is not clear whether the operation on Sunday was part of the retaliation. 

On Sunday, Ansarullah vowed that it will not back down in the battle and any Israeli aggression will be met with more strikes on Tel Aviv, Haifa, Eilat and other Israeli cities. 

The Sanaa government’s armed forces have been staging attacks on Israeli sites as well as blocking Israeli and Israeli-affiliated vessels from crossing the Red Sea in solidarity with Gaza. 

Israeli media reported that the occupation regime's army was surprised by the Yemeni missile and that the regime’s air forces neither saw nor knew or heard anything.  

Hebrew media also reported that the new head of the Aman Unit was asleep when the missile fell, slamming the Israeli army spokesperson as no longer trustworthy. 

Israeli Army Radio claimed that the ballistic missile traveled 2,000 kilometers from Yemen in 15 minutes. It added that the Israeli occupation forces are investigating why it was not intercepted. 

According to other reports, sirens sounded in the center of the occupied territories as well as about 20 settlements and cities in the east and south of Tel Aviv.

The missile attack has caused casualties. Israeli media aired footage showing people racing to shelters in Ben Gurion international airport.