The Hebrew-language newspaper The Jerusalem Post confirmed that Yemen’s use of cluster ballistic missiles against “Israel” represents a major and deeply concerning development in the ongoing conflict.

In a recent report, the paper explained that deploying cluster munitions via ballistic delivery significantly expands the scope of the threat, complicates interception efforts, and makes post-impact response far more difficult.

The report noted that such munitions undermine the effectiveness of conventional missile defense systems like Arrow or David’s Sling, which are not designed to intercept dispersed submunitions.

According to the newspaper, an investigation conducted by the Israeli Air Force on Sunday concluded that the ballistic missile launched by the Houthis on Friday night carried cluster bombs — marking the first use of this type of weapon during the current war. The report added that this class of missile is more likely to cause damage, as it breaks into multiple fragments capable of inflicting widespread impact.

The Israeli military reportedly admitted its failure to intercept the missile, attributing it to an unspecified human or technical error — not to the missile’s payload, according to the paper's claims.

The Jerusalem Post concluded that the failure of Israeli air defenses to intercept the Yemeni missile raises serious questions about the limitations of the much-vaunted multi-layered defense network.