Unsuccessful Houthi missile attack sends millions of Israelis to bunkers at the end of Passover weekend

Just as the first Passover weekend came to an end on Sunday evening, red alert sirens began blaring across central Israel following a ballistic missile launch by the Houthi terrorist group in Yemen.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the missile was successfully intercepted. There were no reports of injuries or damage caused directly or indirectly by the attack.

Palestinian news later reported that shrapnel from the interception was found near the village of Doura, in the Hebron area.

Alarms were triggered in the region between Jerusalem and greater Tel Aviv, including Ben Gurion International Airport.

BREAKING: Houthis have fired ballistic missiles at Israel on an otherwise quiet and peaceful Passover holiday. Here is a map of all the locations where sirens are sounding across Israel right now, sending millions to bomb shelters. Please pray. @all_israel_news @thejoshuafund pic.twitter.com/1mDDDgz2On

— Joel C. Rosenberg (@JoelCRosenberg) April 13, 2025

Israeli media reported that several flights were forced to delay their landings, circling above the airport for some time. A Jordanian plane en route to Amman also experienced delays.

The first of two weekends during the week-long Passover holiday concluded on Sunday evening, as many Israelis continued visiting friends and family.

The attack from Yemen was the first successful missile launch by the Houthis in more than two weeks. The terror group, in the meantime, attempted five additional attacks, but those missiles either broke apart midair or fell short in Saudi territory without triggering alarms in Israel.

The Houthis have now launched 20 ballistic missiles toward Israel since fighting resumed between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza.

Following the failure of several missile launches, the Houthis also resumed attempts to launch drones toward Israel, however, these efforts have so far been unsuccessful.

On Friday, the IDF reported intercepting a Houthi drone near the Dead Sea before it entered Israeli airspace. This marked the third attempted drone attack by the Houthis in the past week.

According to the Jordanian Army, “An unidentified drone entered Jordanian airspace and crashed in the Ma’in area. Fires broke out from the falling parts of the drone, no casualties.”

The Houthi attacks have continued unabated despite ongoing American airstrikes to counter them. In addition, the internationally recognized Yemeni government appears to be gearing up for a new offensive against the Islamist rebels, according to the Emirati news outlet The National.

The report stated that the Yemeni government is mobilizing around 80,000 troops for an offensive aimed at retaking the port of Hodeidah, which fell to the Houthis in 2021.

This is intended as a first step in a broader operation, with the ultimate goal of seizing control of the capital, Sana’a.

Gen. Mike Kurilla of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) recently met with the commander of the Yemeni government-controlled forces.

According to CENTCOM, they discussed “ongoing efforts against the Iran-backed Houthis, including the current operation designed to restore freedom of navigation.”