NextFin news, Yemen's Houthi rebels launched a drone attack on Sunday targeting the Ramon International Airport near Eilat in southern Israel, striking the airport's arrivals hall and causing injuries and disruption to flights, according to Israeli officials and emergency services.
The attack involved multiple drones, some of which were intercepted by Israeli defense forces, but at least one drone successfully hit the airport area. The Israeli airport authority closed the airspace over southern Israel and halted all take-offs and landings at Ramon Airport temporarily. Operations resumed about an hour later.
Emergency responders from Magen David Adom treated several people injured in the attack, including a 63-year-old man with shrapnel wounds, a 52-year-old woman who was injured after falling, two men aged 63 and 28, and a 24-year-old woman who suffered blast injuries to their ears. Three others were treated for anxiety related to the incident and were taken to Yoseftal Hospital.
The Ramon International Airport, located near the borders with Jordan and Egypt, primarily handles domestic flights. The attack marks a rare successful strike by the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group against Israeli territory, following a series of previous drone and missile launches by the Houthis in solidarity with Hamas and Gaza.
Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, praised the operation on social media, calling it a "unique, qualitative military operation" and warned that "enemy airports are unsafe" and foreigners should leave for their safety. He also indicated that other sensitive targets were under threat.
The attack comes two weeks after an Israeli airstrike on Sanaa, Yemen's rebel-held capital, killed the Houthi prime minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and several cabinet members. Despite these losses, the Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks on Israel.
The Israeli military is investigating the incident, noting that no warning sirens sounded before the drone strike. This event represents a significant breach of Israel's air defense systems in the south.
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