More than 20 people were injured Wednesday when a drone launched from Yemen exploded in Israel’s southern resort city of Eilat, just days after a similar strike hit a local hotel.
Medics said two men, ages 60 and 26, were in serious condition, while a 30-year-old suffered moderate wounds. Nineteen others sustained light injuries, mostly from shrapnel. An Israel Air Force helicopter airlifted the most seriously hurt to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, while others were treated at Eilat’s Yoseftal Medical Center, the country’s smallest general hospital.
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Video from the scene showed the unmanned aircraft striking near a hotel and shopping complex. The IDF said two Iron Dome interceptor missiles were launched but failed to down the drone. Sirens did activate “according to protocol,” providing warning before impact.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, though the attack followed a pattern of strikes attributed to Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis. Just last week, a drone smashed into a hotel entrance in Eilat, causing damage but no casualties. Earlier this month, another Houthi strike targeted Ramon Airport outside the city, lightly injuring one person.
Since March 18, when the IDF renewed its campaign against Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis have fired nearly 90 ballistic missiles and at least 40 drones toward Israel. Eilat, at the northern tip of the Red Sea, has become a frequent target of those attacks.