Houthi drone from Yemen hits close to Israel's southern Ramon airport, halting flights

[ad_1] TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A drone fired by the Houthi militants in Yemen breached Israel’s multilayered air defenses on Sunday and slammed into the nation’s southern airport, the Israeli army stated, briefly shutting down business airspace and diverting flights over southern Israel.

Israel stated Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked with a number of drones, most of which have been intercepted exterior of Israel.

A minimum of one of many drones slipped by means of Israel’s protection system and crashed into the passenger terminal on the Ramon Worldwide Airport close to the resort metropolis of Eilat, the Israeli Airports Authority stated, blowing out glass home windows and sending smoke plumes billowing.

The Houthis claimed accountability for the strike.

Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency rescue service stated it handled a 63-year-old man for mild shrapnel wounds. The harm to Ramon Airport appeared restricted and inside a few hours it reopened as regular flights resumed.

The assault comes days after Israeli strikes on Yemen’s rebel-held capital of Sanaa killed the Houthi prime minister and different officers in his Cupboard in a serious escalation of the almost 2-year-old battle between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group in Yemen.

Saying that they have been appearing in solidarity with the Palestinians, the Houthis started firing missiles and drones into Israel after Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault ignited the Israeli army’s devastating marketing campaign in Gaza.

Houthi drone hits Israeli airport After Israel’s focused killing of Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi final Thursday, the militants vowed to escalate their assaults focusing on Israel and service provider ships navigating the important commerce route by means of the Pink Sea off Yemen.

The Houthis hailed Sunday’s assault on Ramon Airport — some 19 kilometers (12 miles) from Eilat on Israel’s southern tip — as “a novel, qualitative army operation.”

“Enemy airports are unsafe, and foreigners should go away them for their very own security,” Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media workplace, wrote on social media. “Different delicate targets are beneath hearth.”

Shortly earlier than Sunday’s strike, the Israeli army stated that it had intercepted three Houthi assault drones close to Israel’s border with Egypt however didn't detect a fourth drone that hit Ramon Airport with out setting off air raid sirens. The army stated it was trying into what occurred.

The Houthis have stepped up their aerial assaults on Israel in latest months, together with by deploying warheads with cluster munitions that scatter smaller munitions over a big space and problem Israel’s air protection system that in any other case intercepts most drones and missiles.

Houthi assaults on Israel, whereas frequent because the Israel-Hamas warfare erupted in October 2023, hardly ever trigger main harm or handle to hit important targets like airports. But in May, a Houthi missile hit near Israel’s main Ben Gurion Airport , prompting many worldwide airways to cancel flights to Tel Aviv for months.

Israel pushes ahead with Gaza Metropolis operation Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed to push ahead with Israel’s operation in Gaza Metropolis, as negotiations between Israel and Hamas continued to falter.

“Our effort in Gaza on the final strongholds, truly the final essential stronghold, Gaza Metropolis, is a part of our effort to finish the crushing of the Iranian axis’s chokehold,” Netanyahu stated at the beginning of the weekly cupboard assembly in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu claimed that greater than 100,000 Palestinians have left Gaza Metropolis prematurely of the operation, although worldwide organizations have countered this determine, as Palestinians questioned where in Gaza may probably be secure.

Final week, only a few thousand folks have been leaving every day, with solely 41,000 folks having evacuated since mid-August, of the roughly 1 million folks estimated round Gaza Metropolis, in keeping with the United Nations.

Negotiations stalled between Hamas and Israel In the meantime, makes an attempt to relaunch negotiations between Israel and Hamas are faltering.

Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, stated the militant group received’t lay down its arms till the institution of an impartial Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. However he stated that Hamas is prepared for a long-term truce and can launch the hostages nonetheless being held in Gaza in trade for a variety of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and the whole withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

Naim stated Hamas remains to be ready for Israel to answer a 60-day ceasefire proposal crafted by Egyptian and Qatari mediators final month.

The Prime Minister’s Workplace refused to touch upon negotiations.

There are 48 hostages nonetheless being held in Gaza, round 20 of which Israel believes are nonetheless nonetheless alive. Militants kidnapped 251 folks and killed round 1,200 folks in southern Israel through the assault that sparked the warfare on Oct. 7, 2023.

Strikes kill 13 Palestinians in Gaza A minimum of 13 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on Sunday morning, together with six youngsters and three ladies, in keeping with native hospitals. Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza stated that eight folks have been killed in an Israeli strike on a college the place displaced folks have been sheltering. The Israeli army stated it was focusing on a militants across the college and had warned civilians to evacuate earlier than the strike. The army accuses Hamas of hiding weapons and militants inside civilian areas.

5 different folks have been killed in strikes on tents and house buildings in central Gaza and Gaza Metropolis, in keeping with native hospitals. Israel’s army didn't have quick touch upon the opposite strikes.

The Gaza Well being Ministry stated a complete of 64,368 have been killed and 162,776 have been wounded because the begin of the warfare. The ministry doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants, however says greater than half of the casualties have been ladies and kids.

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Magdy reported from Cairo.

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