Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen's capital, targeting Iran-backed rebels

Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen's capital, Sanaa, early on Sunday, just days after the country's Iran-backed rebels fired cluster munitions toward Israel, according to a local media report.

The rebel Houthi-run al-Masirah channel reported the strikes, the first to hit the rebel-held Sanaa since August 17, when Israel said targeted energy infrastructure it believed was used by the rebels.

Israel has not confirmed Sunday's attack.

The Iran-backed Houthis have launched missiles and drones toward Israel and targeted ships in the Red Sea for more than 22 months. They say they are carrying out the attacks in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the war in the Gaza Strip.

They are usually intercepted before landing in Israel.

An Israeli Air Force official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations, said the projectile fired from Yemen towards Israel on Friday night marked a new threat. The missile was a cluster munition a projectile that is supposed to detonate into multiple explosives.

It was the first time the Iranian-sponsored Houthi rebels had launched a cluster bomb at Israel since the militant group began launching rockets towards Israel in 2023, the official said. The use of cluster bombs makes it harder for Israel to intercept and also represents additional technology provided to the Houthis by Iran, the official said.