“Following the sirens that sounded recently in several areas in Israel, a missile that was launched from Yemen was intercepted” before “crossing into Israeli territory”, a military statement said.

In a later statement, it said a drone “that was on its way to Israeli territory from the east was intercepted” by the air force.

Yemen, large parts of which are under the control of the Iran-backed Houthis, is located to Israel’s southeast.

Other countries to Israel’s east include Iraq, where Tehran-aligned militants have claimed a number of attacks targeting Israel since the Gaza war began.

The Houthis have repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel since the war in Gaza broke out in Oct 2023 in what they say is a show of solidarity with the Palestinians.

The rebels have also targeted ships they accuse of having ties to Israel as they travel on the Red Sea – a vital waterway for global trade.

They had temporarily paused their attacks during a recent two-month ceasefire in Gaza.

According to Israel’s army radio, the missile intercepted overnight was the 22nd fired by the Houthis since they had resumed their attacks as Israel renewed its Gaza offensive on March 18.

Since March 15, Israel’s key ally the US has stepped up its attacks on the Houthis, targeting rebel positions in Yemen with near-daily air strikes.