A drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has hit an airport in southern Israel, in a significant failure of Israel’s air defence systems.<\/p>\n
Vision broadcast on Israeli television and shared on social media shows black smoke billowing from an area within the Ramon International Airport near Eilat in the far south of the country, at the top of the Gulf of Aqaba.<\/p>\n
Israel said the Houthis launched multiple drones, some of which were intercepted outside of Israel.<\/p>\n
Israel’s paramedic service, Magen David Adom, said a 63-year-old man was being treated for shrapnel injuries as a result of the strike, and a 52-year-old woman was being treated after falling during the incident.<\/p>\n
Israel has killed 12 senior Houthi figures. Has this weakened the rebel group?<\/a><\/p>\n This latest attack from Israel is a “significant blow” to the Iran-backed rebel group. But how much has it actually weakened the Houthis?<\/p>\n The country’s airport authority said airspace in southern Israel was closed after the drone attack hit the airport’s passenger hall.\u00a0<\/p>\n The authority also confirmed take-offs and landings at the airport were halted, while it was working to restore normal operations as soon as possible.<\/p>\n The airport located on the border with Jordan and Egypt mostly handles domestic flights.<\/p>\n It was the fourth drone launched at Israel by the Houthis in the space of an hour, with three others intercepted by the Israeli military.<\/p>\n Warning sirens did not ring out ahead of the incident, which the Israeli military says it is investigating.<\/p>\n Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, hailed the attack on social media, calling it \u201ca unique, qualitative military operation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEnemy airports are unsafe, and foreigners must leave them for their own safety,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOther sensitive targets are under fire.\u201d<\/p>\n The Houthis have repeatedly launched drones and missiles at Israel, and attacked ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with Hamas and the people of Gaza.<\/p>\n The group has insisted recent Israeli strikes on Yemen, which have killed senior members of the Houthis administration<\/a>, would not deter them from continuing to attack Israel.<\/p>\n Loading…<\/p>\n Sunday’s attack came two weeks after an Israeli strike on Sanaa, the rebel-held capital of Yemen, killed the prime minister of the Houthi government, along with many of his cabinet.<\/p>\n Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi was the mosh senior Houthi official killed in the Israeli-US campaign against the Iranian-backed rebels.<\/p>\n