Missile defence system to be operated by US troops in a departure from Israeli military policy. US soldiers have launched high-tech interceptor missiles from inside Israel for the first time since the system was deployed earlier this year. Footage on social media showed what security sources later confirmed as the firing of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery missile to intercept a Houthi attack from Yemen early on Friday.
![[US Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) launching station preparing to load onto a 4th Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III at Fort Blis]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/10/14/22/Mideast_Wars-United_States-Israel_43791.jpg)
After the missile is fired, an American soldier can be heard saying: “Eighteen years I’ve been waiting for this.”. The Israeli military confirmed only that an interception had taken place, but security sources told news site Walla that THAAD had been responsible.
![[Protesters previously marched toward the US embassy against deploying the THAAD in Seoul, South Korea]](https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/07/13/20/korea0.jpg)
The Pentagon announced it would be deploying its THAAD battery to Israel, along with roughly 100 soldiers, to operate it in an effort to bolster Israel's air defence system amid fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East. The announcement followed a call between president Joe Biden and Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Israel's retaliation against Iran's 1 October attack when it rained nearly 200 missiles on Israel.
Despite Israel housing some of the best air defences in the world, its anti-missile systems failed to deter drone attacks by Iran-backed Hezbollah, which have killed dozens in the north of the country since last October. A Hezbollah airstrike on an Israeli army base on Sunday killed at least four Israeli soldiers and injured dozens in one of the deadliest strikes in a year, underscoring the potential need for greater protection.
