Jerusalem, Oct 6: Houthi forces launched a drone toward Israel’s Red Sea resort city of Eilat late on Sunday, marking the second such attack within 24 hours, the Israeli military said. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), launched from Yemen, was “likely intercepted” by the Israel Air Force (IAF).
“Following the sirens that sounded regarding a hostile aircraft infiltration in the Eilat area, a UAV launched from Yemen was likely intercepted by the IAF,” the military said in an official statement. It added that the alert sirens were triggered due to the risk of falling debris from the interception.
Police confirmed that officers were deployed to search the area but reported no casualties or damage. There was no immediate response from Yemen’s Houthi movement, according to Xinhua news agency.
Earlier in the day, Houthi forces fired a missile toward central Israel before dawn, claiming it had targeted “sensitive sites.” The Israeli military said the missile was intercepted by its air defense systems, preventing any impact on the ground.
The latest incidents come amid rising cross-border tensions between Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Israel, as the Iran-aligned group continues to claim responsibility for attacks in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
On September 26, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea announced that the group had launched a “hypersonic ballistic missile” toward a “sensitive target” in the Jaffa area of southern Tel Aviv. The strike, he claimed, temporarily halted air traffic at Ben Gurion Airport and sent thousands of residents to shelters.
Sarea said the attack was a direct response to what he termed Israeli “aggression” in Gaza and airstrikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, hours earlier.
Despite repeated interceptions by Israel’s air defense systems, the escalating attacks signal growing regional volatility.