30 injured after Houthi rocket fire on Tel Aviv as tensions with Israel escalate

A rocket fired from Yemen hit a Tel Aviv neighborhood overnight, leaving 16 people with minor injuries from broken glass, the Israeli military said Saturday, days after Israeli airstrikes targeted Houthi rebels who were firing missiles in cooperation with the Palestinians.

Another 14 people suffered minor injuries as they rushed to shelters when the siren sounded before the rocket hit before 4am on Saturday, the military said.

Houthi rebels released a statement on the Telegram messaging app saying they had directed a hypersonic ballistic missile at a military target, which they did not identify.

The attack comes less than two days after Israeli airstrikes on Yemen's Houthi-held capital, Sanaa, and the port of Hodeida killed at least nine people. The Israeli strikes were in response to a Houthi attack in which a long-range missile hit an Israeli school building.

The Houthis also claimed a drone strike targeting an unspecified military base in central Israel on Thursday.

Israel's military says the Iran-backed Houthis have fired more than 200 missiles and drones during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Houthis have also been attacking ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and say they will not stop until the fighting in Gaza ends.

Israel's strikes on Thursday caused “massive damage” to Houthi-controlled ports in the Red Sea “which will lead to a very rapid decrease in port capacity,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The port of Hodeida has been key to Yemen's food shipments during its decade-long civil war.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said attacks by both sides risk escalating in the region and undermine UN mediation efforts.