A drone fired by the Houthi militants in Yemen breached Israel’s air defenses on Sunday and slammed into the nation’s southern airport, the Israeli army stated.
It was one among a number of drones fired by the Houthis, in line with the army, nevertheless it stated most had been intercepted outdoors of Israel.
The drone crashed into the passenger terminal on the Ramon Worldwide Airport close to the resort metropolis of Eilat, the Israeli Airports Authority stated, blowing out glass home windows and sending smoke plumes billowing.
The Houthis hailed Sunday’s assault on Ramon Airport — some 19 kilometers (12 miles) from Eilat on Israel’s southern tip — as “a novel, qualitative army operation.”
“Enemy airports are unsafe, and foreigners should depart them for their very own security,” Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media workplace, wrote on social media. “Different delicate targets are beneath fireplace.”
Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency rescue service stated it handled a 63-year-old man for gentle shrapnel wounds. The injury to Ramon Airport appeared restricted, and inside a few hours, it reopened as regular flights resumed.
The assault comes days after Israeli strikes on Yemen’s rebel-held capital of Sanaa killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and different officers in his cupboard in a serious escalation of the practically 2-year-old battle between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group in Yemen.
Saying that they had been appearing in solidarity with the Palestinians, the Houthis started firing missiles and drones into Israel after Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault ignited the Israeli army’s devastating marketing campaign in Gaza.
The Houthis have stepped up their aerial assaults on Israel in latest months, together with by deploying warheads with cluster munitions. They scatter smaller explosive projectiles over a big space and are tougher for Israel’s air protection system to cease, which in any other case intercepts most drones and missiles.
Houthi assaults on Israel, whereas frequent for the reason that Israel-Hamas conflict erupted in October 2023, have hardly ever prompted main injury or struck vital targets like airports. However in Could, a Houthi missile hit close to Israel’s foremost Ben Gurion Airport, prompting many worldwide airways to cancel flights to Tel Aviv for months.
Israel pushes ahead with Gaza Metropolis operation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed to push ahead with Israel’s operation in Gaza Metropolis, with no reported progress in restarting negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
“Our effort in Gaza on the final strongholds, really the final essential stronghold, Gaza Metropolis, is a part of our effort to finish the crushing of the Iranian axis’s chokehold,” Netanyahu stated at the beginning of the weekly cupboard assembly in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu claimed that over 100,000 Palestinians have heeded the army’s calls to evacuate Gaza Metropolis forward of the operation, a determine disputed by worldwide organizations. The United Nations has reported simply 41,000 individuals out of the town’s inhabitants of 1 million leaving during the last month.
Amir Levy / Getty Pictures
In the meantime, makes an attempt to relaunch negotiations between Israel and Hamas are faltering.
Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, stated the militant group will not lay down its arms till the institution of an unbiased Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. However he stated that Hamas is prepared for a long-term truce and can launch the hostages nonetheless being held in Gaza in trade for quite a few Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and the whole withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Naim stated Hamas remains to be ready for Israel to reply to a 60-day ceasefire proposal crafted by Egyptian and Qatari mediators final month.
The Prime Minister’s Workplace refused to touch upon negotiations.
There are 48 hostages nonetheless being held in Gaza, round 20 of whom Israel believes are nonetheless alive. Militants kidnapped 251 individuals and killed round 1,200 individuals in southern Israel throughout the assault that sparked the conflict on Oct. 7, 2023.
The Hamas-run Gaza Well being Ministry stated a complete of 64,368 individuals have been killed and 162,776 have been wounded for the reason that begin of the conflict. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants, however says greater than half of the casualties had been ladies and youngsters.
