Houthi Explosive Drone Injures Over 20 People in Israeli Resort City of Eilat

Latest Developments

Explosive Drone Attack on Civilians: Over 20 people were wounded on September 24 when an explosive drone launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen slammed into a shopping center in the southernmost Israeli port city of Eilat. The Israeli air defense array unsuccessfully launched two Iron Dome interceptors in an attempt to shoot down the unmanned aircraft, and the Israeli air force dispatched a helicopter to the attack site to evacuate some of the wounded to Be’er Sheva’s Soroka Medical Center. Medics at the scene reported that two men, ages 60 and 26, were in serious condition, along with a 30-year-old individual who was moderately injured and 19 others in light condition.
Second Eilat Attack in a Week: The attack followed a similar incident on September 18 when an explosive drone launched by the Houthis struck a hotel entrance in Eilat, causing some damage but no casualties. That same day, two additional drones from Yemen were intercepted, along with a ballistic missile that was fired at central Israel. Since March, the Houthis have launched approximately 90 ballistic missiles and at least 40 explosive drones at Israel.
Katz Threatens Harsh Response: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned following the attack that the “Houthi terrorists will learn the hard way” that “those who harm Israel will be harmed sevenfold,” and wished a “full recovery to those injured.” The IDF’s most significant strike against the Houthis came on August 28, when the Israeli air force eliminated 12 top officials in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled government in the capital city of Sana’a. Israeli defense officials warned at the time that the decapitation strike was “just the beginning.”

FDD Expert Response

“This is the second Houthi attack in recent days on the Israeli resort town of Eilat, which represents Israel’s only access point to the Red Sea. This is also the most serious Houthi attack on Israel to date in terms of casualties and serves as a reminder that even Israel’s comprehensive air defenses will occasionally fail to intercept attacks. Israel will likely respond forcefully because of the injuries caused by this attack. Though the Israeli air force will not be able to replicate its decapitation strike from August 28 against Houthi leadership, Israel will work down its target bank and likely seek to inflict major infrastructural damage on targets like Hodeida port and Sana’a airport.” — Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Fellow

“The increasing frequency of Houthi-launched drones evading Israeli air defenses and hitting the southern part of the country is an alarming development. Additionally, Israel’s ongoing airstrikes in response to the Houthis’ attacks have not affected the group’s willingness to launch drones and missiles against the Jewish state. Israel should consider options to hold Iran accountable for supporting Houthi terrorism.” — Bridget Toomey, Research Analyst