Early Sunday morning, Yemen’s Armed forces fired a missile into central Israel, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a stern warning to Yemen’s government, promising they will pay a “heavy price” after the missile attack. The launched missile from Yemen travelled over 2,000 kilometers before being intercepted and breaking apart mid-air, with fragments falling near the city of Modi’in. Sirens rang out across Israel, including in Tel Aviv, with residents rushing to find shelter. Nine Zionists were hurt while trying to find refuge, but no casualties were reported.

“We are in a multi-arena campaign against Iran’s evil axis that strives to destroy us,” Netanyahu said ahead of a cabinet meeting. Referring to past Israeli strikes in Yemen, he added, “They should have known by now that we exact a heavy price for any attempt to harm us.”

Yemen’s army claimed responsibility for the missile strike, which military spokesman Yahya Sarea described as a “new hypersonic ballistic missile.” The missile is said to have traveled 1,270 miles in just over 11 minutes, bypassing multiple layers of Israel’s air refence. A senior Yemeni government official, Nasruddin Amer, declared the attack as the “beginning” of more strikes against Israel.

The attack comes amid increasing Israel’s attacks and continued massacres in Gaza which has resulted in deaths of more than 41,000 including a great number pf women and children. In addition to Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon has been launching daily projectile barrages into northern Israel, prompting Netanyahu to call for a “change in the balance of power” along the northern border.

As the war between Israel and Hamas approaches its one-year mark, fears of a broader conflict spreading throughout the region continue to escalate