A Houthi-launched drone breached Israel’s air defenses on Sunday and struck Ramon Airport in southern Israel, blowing out a window and wounding two people, the Israeli military and airport authorities said.
The Israeli military said the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hit the airport near the Red Sea resort city of Eilat, sending shrapnel that lightly injured a 63-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman. The Israeli Airport Authority initially halted takeoffs and landings and said authorities were working to restore operations as soon as possible. The airport later resumed arrivals and departures after completing safety and security checks and receiving final approval from the Air Force.
Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the Yemen-based rebel group fired eight drones at Israel, saying the bomb-laden UAVs were specifically targeting Israeli airports. "As long as the war in Gaza continues, Israel’s airports are unsafe and will be continuously targeted," Saree said, according to Houthi statements. The Israeli military said it intercepted three of the drones and that it is investigating why the system did not detect the UAV that struck Ramon.
Footage of the aftermath showed black smoke rising from the airport and flights being delayed or diverted. Airlines have in past months suspended service to Israeli hubs after strikes near Ben Gurion International Airport, and the latest incident prompted temporary disruption at the southern air hub.
The strike marks an escalation in the Houthi-Israel confrontations that began in November 2023, when the Iran-aligned group started launching drones and missiles in a show of solidarity with Hamas after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks and the subsequent Israeli operations in Gaza. The Houthis have intensified their operations in recent weeks following the death last month of a senior Houthi official, Ahmed al-Rahawi, whom the group described as its prime minister.
Since Israel resumed large-scale operations in Gaza in March, the Israel Defense Forces has said the Houthis have fired at least 31 drones and 80 ballistic missiles toward Israel. In recent weeks the rebels used a cluster munition against Israeli infrastructure for the first time in two years and struck near Ben Gurion Airport three months ago, prompting international carriers to cancel flights to Tel Aviv for an extended period.
Israeli authorities said an investigation is under way to determine how one drone penetrated defenses and to assess the implications for airport security. The IDF statement did not provide a timeline for the inquiry or identify specific defensive systems involved.
The Ramon Airport strike underscores the widening geographic scope of the conflict and the risks to civilian aviation and passengers. Israeli officials and international carriers have in the past adjusted flight routes and schedules in response to Houthi strikes that threaten major air hubs. The airport authority said operations resumed only after compliance checks and Air Force clearance.
No group beyond the Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack. The two wounded were treated for minor injuries, and authorities did not report further damage to airport infrastructure. The incident adds to broader regional tensions as Israel and Iran-aligned actors exchange strikes and rhetoric tied to the wider Israel-Gaza war. Investigations and security reviews at Ramon and other Israeli airports are expected to continue as officials weigh potential changes to civilian air operations.