In a rare and significant escalation, Yemen’s Houthi managed to breach Israel’s air defenses and strike the passenger arrivals hall at Ramon International Airport near Eilat, briefly closing the facility and injuring civilians, before operations were swiftly restored.
The incident unfolded when a drone launched from Yemen penetrated Israeli defensive shields and exploded in the airport’s arrivals terminal, halting takeoffs and landings for approximately two hours as authorities assessed damage and ensured safety. Emergency responders treated two individuals—a 63-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman—for light shrapnel wounds at hospital. Despite the initial disruption, safety and security inspections under international civil aviation standards were completed quickly, and Israeli Air Force approval enabled the airport to reopen for full operations, with the first flight to Ben Gurion Airport departing shortly thereafter.
Israeli officials confirmed that other UAVs launched from Yemen were intercepted, but this one evaded those defenses, a rare instance of direct Houthi success in striking an Israeli airport. The attack underscores the rebels’ clear strategic intent: to target Israel in solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Gaza conflict, and follows a series of similar cross-border provocations.
The strike viewed as retaliation for earlier Israeli operations targeting Houthi-held infrastructure, including the fatal airstrike on a senior Houthi official. The capacity to launch direct drone attacks deep into Israeli territory from Yemen reveals a concerning expansion in regional hostilities, with implications for both air and maritime routes.
