Gaza cease-fire deal at 'closest point', mediator says

Wider conflict

The fighting has already upended a wider region of the Middle East.

A missile fired by Yemen's Houthi forces targeted central Israel early on Tuesday, causing sirens to blare and people to flee into bomb shelters.

The Israeli military said it made several attempts to intercept a missile launched from Yemen and "the missile was likely intercepted." The Magen David Adom emergency service in Israel said there were no injuries from the missile or falling debris, but some people suffered injuries when running to shelters.

Israeli police said several homes outside Jerusalem were damaged by fallen debris and released a photo of what appeared to be a missile casing on the roof of a house. Israel's military also said an earlier missile was intercepted before it entered Israeli territory.

Figures released by the Israeli military earlier this month indicated that Houthi forces have launched about 40 surface-to-surface missiles and 320 drones toward Israel since October 2023. Most of them were intercepted, the figures showed.

Experts have warned that the maritime security situation has evolved into a more complex challenge than initially anticipated.

"The current trajectory suggests we may witness a broader regional conflict," said Yemeni military observer Abu Al-Badreen.

Agencies - Xinhua