Reem Alabali-Radovan currently on a visit to Israel and the wider region, was caught in the latest escalation as sirens sounded across parts of the country.
Germany’s Development Minister, Reem Alabali-Radovan, was forced into an air raid shelter on Wednesday after Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched another missile at Israel, underscoring the widening scope of the Middle East conflict.
The minister, currently on a visit to Israel and the wider region, was caught in the latest escalation as sirens sounded across parts of the country. The attack, which Israeli authorities said was intercepted, followed a series of missile launches by the Iran-backed group in recent days.
Tensions have spiked since Israel carried out a strike on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Sunday in retaliation for a previous Houthi missile assault that reportedly involved the use of cluster munitions — the first such claim in the ongoing confrontation.
The Houthis, who have declared solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, have increasingly targeted Israel as part of a broader regional flashpoint involving Iran’s allies. Israeli officials have warned that the group’s expanding missile capabilities pose a significant security threat to civilian populations.
Meanwhile, diplomatic and political manoeuvres continued in Washington. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that President Donald Trump will chair a White House meeting on Wednesday with senior US and Israeli officials to discuss the ongoing Gaza conflict and regional instability.
The talks come at a critical moment, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in Washington. Both sides are expected to weigh strategies for containing the regional fallout from the Gaza war, particularly in light of Iran’s role in backing militant groups across the Middle East.
Germany, a long-standing ally of Israel, has sought to maintain diplomatic engagement in the region while simultaneously voicing concern about the humanitarian toll of the conflict. Alabali-Radovan’s experience of coming under direct threat is likely to reinforce Berlin’s cautious but firm stance on ensuring Israel’s security while calling for broader de-escalation.
As missiles continue to fly across borders, the risk of a wider conflict linking Yemen, Israel, and Gaza looms large — leaving international actors scrambling to prevent the crisis from spiralling further.
