Southern Israel faced a rare and alarming breach on Sunday as a drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck Ramon International Airport near Eilat, prompting a temporary shutdown of regional airspace.
According to the Israeli military, several drones were launched in the attack. While most were intercepted, one managed to evade defenses and hit the airport’s passenger terminal, causing structural damage and lightly injuring a civilian with shrapnel.
The Houthi group swiftly claimed responsibility, describing the strike as a “qualitative military operation” and issuing a stark warning: “enemy airports are unsafe.”
This escalation follows a recent Israeli airstrike in Sanaa that killed Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi, intensifying hostilities. Since that incident, the Houthis have ramped up their offensive, deploying drones, ballistic missiles, and cluster munitions weaponry that poses greater challenges to interception due to its dispersal mechanics.
Ramon Airport, which opened in 2019 as Israel’s secondary international gateway near the Red Sea, has become a strategic target amid rising regional tensions. Though smaller than Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, its temporary closure underscores growing concerns over the vulnerability of civilian infrastructure in the face of expanding conflict.
