Explosions and sirens in central Israel after rocket fired from Yemen

Explosions were heard over Jerusalem after sirens blared across the city and central Israel on Saturday morning, AFP journalists reported, while the Israeli military said a projectile had been launched from Yemen.

The explosions and sirens came after Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, said that the ceasefire in the war in Gaza would take effect from 0630 GMT on Sunday.

Sirens and explosions were heard over Jerusalem at around 10:20 am (08:20 GMT) on Saturday, shortly after sirens sounded across central Israel in response to the projectile launched from Yemen, the military said in a statement.

Minutes later, the military said it had intercepted the projectile launched from Yemen.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have repeatedly launched missile and drone attacks on Israel since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023.

On Friday, the Houthis warned that they would keep up their attacks if Israel did not respect the terms of its ceasefire with Hamas.

The Houthi rebels, part of Iran's "axis of resistance", have also been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea throughout the war in Gaza, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians.

In December, 16 people were wounded in Tel Aviv in one of their attacks on Israel.

In response to their attacks, Israel has struck Houthi targets in several air raids, including in the rebel-held Yemeni capital Sanaa.