Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Thursday said they carried out a drone attack on Tel Aviv, although there was no direct confirmation from Israeli authorities.

In a statement, the Houthis said they "carried out a military operation targeting a vital target in the Jaffa (Tel Aviv) area in occupied Palestine with several Jaffa drones".

"The operation achieved its goals successfully as the drones reached their targets without the enemy being able to confront or shoot them down."

The Israeli military said it intercepted "a suspicious aerial target" off central Israel overnight, without giving further details.

On Wednesday, the Houthis claimed to have fired cruise missiles at Israel, following Iran's mass bombardment of Israel the night before.

Last week, the rebels said they fired a missile at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, prompting Israeli air strikes on Yemen including the vital port of Hodeida.

The Houthis, who have controlled large swathes of war-torn Yemen for a decade, are part of Iran's "Axis of Resistance" against Israel and the United States.

Since November, they have been attacking ships off Yemen's coast in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in what they say is a show of solidarity with Palestinians during the Israeli war on Gaza.