Yemen's Houthis claim new strikes on Israeli cities with drones

SANAA, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group said they launched two drones at the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Ashkelon on Wednesday, targeting "vital" and "industrial" areas.

"We carried out two military operations, the first of which targeted a vital and sensitive zone in Tel Aviv city. The second operation targeted the industrial zone in Ashkelon city," Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

"The two operations were carried out by two drones and achieved their goals successfully," he said in the statement, adding that the group's operations against Israel "will not stop until the aggression on Gaza stops and the siege on it is lifted."

There has been no comment yet from the Israeli side.

Earlier in the day, the Houthi group claimed responsibility for a "hypersonic ballistic missile" attack on Tel Aviv, which the Israeli army said had been intercepted.

The Houthi group has ramped up its attacks on Israel following Israeli officials' pledges to initiate a significant offensive against it. ■