Israeli military forces have encountered major difficulties in addressing missile and drone attacks launched by the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) since the outset of the war on Gaza in October 2023, the Israeli newspaper Maariv reported.

The most recent operation occurred earlier on Saturday when a Palestine 2-typed hypersonic ballistic missile launched by the YAF struck Tel Aviv, injuring at least 20 settlers, as per Israeli media. Israeli police confirmed the missile’s impact and noted the damage caused, adding that an investigation would be launched to determine the cause of the interception failure.

“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in central Israel, one projectile launched from Yemen was identified and unsuccessful interception attempts were made,” the Israeli military said in acknowledgment. 

Israeli police also noted that “a short time ago, reports were received of a weapon falling in one of the settlements within the Tel Aviv district.”

According to Israeli media, the missile fell in the town of Bnei Brak, east of Tel Aviv. It was at least the sixth such missile attack over the past month.

Commenting on the incident, the military said the Israeli Air Force and Home Front Command have already implemented lessons learned from this morning’s failure to intercept a Yemeni ballistic missile.

“The incident is still being thoroughly investigated,” the IOF said, adding that following initial investigations by the IAF and Home Front Command, “some of the conclusions have already been implemented, both regarding interception and early warning.”

“No further details regarding aerial defense activities and the alert system can be given due to operational security considerations,” the military statement concluded.

A missile launched by the #Yemeni Armed Forces struck Tel Aviv, injuring at least 30 people, with Israeli air defense systems unable to intercept the attack. pic.twitter.com/VRub8AwtVY

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 21, 2024

Maariv highlighted that the YAF have launched over 200 ballistic missiles and 170 drones targeting "Israel", presenting a severe challenge to the occupation entity's defense systems.

The report indicated that "Israel’s" air defense systems, including the infamous Iron Dome, have struggled to effectively counter the large-scale threat posed by the YAF.

It also noted that the Arrow missile defense system—"Israel’s" primary line of defense against ballistic missiles—failed four consecutive times to intercept incoming missiles, three launched from Yemen and one from Lebanon.

While many missiles and drones have been allegedly intercepted by Israeli and US forces, the overwhelming volume and advanced technology used in these attacks have placed immense pressure on "Israel’s" defensive capabilities, the newspaper suggested.

It further emphasized that the Israeli military is grappling with significant challenges in both countering the Yemeni attacks and responding effectively.

The report indicated that since the beginning of the war on Gaza, the YAF's attacks have caused considerable damage to the Israeli economy.

It also criticized "Israel’s" military response and intelligence preparedness, asserting that the occupation entity was ill-equipped to address the threat posed by the Yemenis.

"Israel was not ready – either politically or in terms of intelligence – to deal with the threat coming from Yemen," Maariv underscored.

The newspaper recalled that Israeli military and intelligence agencies only began responding after the frequency and intensity of the Yemeni missile and drone strikes escalated.

According to the media outlet, Israeli airstrikes on positions in Yemen are largely symbolic and are public relations efforts rather than effective military actions.

Read more: Yemeni strikes on Tel Aviv can flip the scale: Palestinian factions