Houthi Drone Strikes Israel’s Ramon Airport as Gaza Offensive Intensifies
The attack blew out glass windows at the passenger terminal near the Red Sea resort city of Eilat, diverting flights and inflicting shrapnel wounds on a 63-year-old man.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — A drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck Israel’s southern Ramon International Airport on Sunday, wounding one person and briefly shutting down commercial airspace, according to the Israeli military. The rare breach of Israel’s multilayered air defense system, reported by the Associated Press (AP), underscored the expanding regional dimensions of the conflict.
The attack blew out glass windows at the passenger terminal near the Red Sea resort city of Eilat, diverting flights and inflicting shrapnel wounds on a 63-year-old man. The Houthis claimed responsibility, with military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree declaring that eight drones had been launched at Israel to signal the group’s resolve to escalate operations. “Israeli airports are unsafe and will be continuously targeted,” he warned.
The strike came just days after an Israeli air raid on Yemen’s rebel-held capital killed the Houthis’ prime minister, Ahmed al-Rahawi, and other senior officials in one of the most significant escalations since hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed group erupted nearly two years ago.
Israeli authorities said three other drones were intercepted near the border with Egypt and acknowledged that they were investigating why air defenses had failed to intercept the drone that hit Ramon Airport.
Escalation of Houthi Attacks
The Houthis began launching missiles and drones toward Israel after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, assault, which killed 1,200 people and triggered Israel’s devastating military campaign in Gaza. While most Houthi attacks have been intercepted, Sunday’s strike marked the most serious breach since May, when a missile landed near Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv, prompting international airlines to suspend flights for months.
The Houthis have employed increasingly sophisticated tactics, including drones carrying cluster munitions, which are harder for Israeli systems to detect and destroy. The Houthis say these attacks are designed to project solidarity with Gaza and to demonstrate the group’s reach across the Red Sea, a vital global trade route already strained by repeated disruptions.
Israel Intensifies Gaza Offensive
In parallel with the escalating threat from Yemen, Israel pressed ahead with its military campaign in Gaza. On Sunday, Israeli forces leveled another high-rise in Gaza City, Al-Ra’iya Tower, shortly after ordering its evacuation. It was the third such demolition in as many days as the army seeks to dismantle what it describes as Hamas’s last strongholds.
Palestinian civilians, however, continue to bear the brunt. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 64,000 people have been killed since the start of the war. Hospitals reported dozens more casualties Sunday, including fatalities from strikes on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City and the U.N.-run Nuseirat refugee camp.
Israel said it was targeting militants operating near civilian areas but acknowledged the challenges of distinguishing combatants from displaced populations.
Uncertainty Over Ceasefire Talks
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on social media that Israel had accepted his ceasefire terms and called on Hamas to do the same. The Israeli government offered no confirmation, and Hamas insisted it would only agree to a deal that included a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his condition that Hamas must fully disarm before any permanent truce, a stance that has deepened divisions at home, especially among families of hostages still held in Gaza.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged the government to support an emerging agreement, warning that time was running out for the 20 captives believed to still be alive.
As the conflict broadens, with rockets and drones striking from Yemen and fighting intensifying in Gaza, both Israel and its opponents appear locked in cycles of escalation, with regional stability hanging in the balance.
