On Wednesday, at least 22 people were injured, including two seriously, when a drone launched from Yemen struck the city of Eilat, in southern Israel, on the coast of the Red Sea.
The attack, claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, occurred during the final hours of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and has reignited regional tension.
The drone struck near shops and restaurants, according to images released by Israeli forces and emergency services. Israel's air defense system failed to intercept the device, which has raised concern and prompted an internal investigation.
The emergency organization Magen David Adom (MDA) reported that most of the injured suffered shrapnel wounds, highlighting among the most serious a 60-year-old man with limb injuries and a 26-year-old man with chest wounds. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) deployed helicopters and rescue teams in the area to evacuate the injured and secure the site.
Israeli police asked the public not to approach the impact site, warning that unexploded ordnance could remain. Bomb disposal experts are examining the drone's remains.
The Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, confirmed that the attack was part of a "qualitative military operation," carried out with several drones, and claimed that multiple Israeli targets were hit, including Eilat (referred to by its Arabic name Umm al-Rashrash) and Beersheba (Bir al-Saba’).
Following the attack, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katzpromised a forceful retaliation against the Houthis: "Whoever harms Israel will be harmed seven times more," he said, warning that the Houthis "will learn the hard way." In the same vein, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to deliver "a painful blow to the Houthi regime" and ordered the military to assess response measures.
El gobierno de Israel prometió una dura respuesta contra los hutíes
Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in October 2023, the Houthis have launched dozens of drones and missiles toward southern Israel, justifying their actions as a show of solidarity with the Palestinians. Although most have been intercepted or have fallen outside Israeli territory, recent weeks have seen an increase in the effectiveness and frequency of these attacks.
This week's attack comes days after another Houthi drone struck Ramon Airport, also in southern Israel. In that case, the defense systems also did not activate, which led authorities to launch an investigation.
Israel has replied with airstrikes in Yemen, targeting military and civilian infrastructure used by the Houthis. One of the most notable episodes was the elimination of the Houthi prime minister, Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahawi, in an Israeli airstrike in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, at the end of August. The group vowed to avenge his death, as well as that of nearly half of its terrorist cabinet.
Los terroristas han lanzado numerosos ataques en los últimos meses escudándose en la población civil
