Israel intercepts a missile launched from Yemen

The Israeli military says it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen a day before new negotiations planned in Cairo to advance a possible peace agreement in Gaza.

"Following the sirens that sounded moments ago in several areas of Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted by the Israeli Air Force," a military statement said.

The attack comes one day after indirect talks between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas on a peace plan for the Gaza Strip began in Egypt.

Various Arab media outlets estimate that the Hamas delegation and that of Qatar, the negotiating country with the United States and Egypt, will arrive in Cairo between Sunday and Monday.

The 20-point plan, presented last Monday by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, proposes an immediate end to the war, the release of hostages held by Hamas, and the creation of a transitional government for Gaza, to be overseen by Washington and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Hamas has agreed to release the hostages, but has requested a renegotiation of several points of the agreement. Among the main disagreements are the timing of the Israeli troop withdrawal and the areas where Israel would maintain a military presence after the withdrawal, issues that have blocked progress in previous rounds.

Yemen's Houthi rebels, allied with Iran, frequently launch missiles and drones into Israeli territory, most of which are intercepted without causing casualties or damage.

During the last ceasefire between January and March, the Houthis halted missile fire against the Hebrew state.

Israel, for its part, has repeatedly bombed the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, and other areas under insurgent control. One of these attacks killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi, along with eleven members of his government.