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by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
EILAT, ISRAEL (Worthy News) – A drone launched from Yemen struck the southern Israeli city of Eilat on Wednesday evening, wounding more than 20 people in one of the most serious Houthi attacks on the city to date.
The unmanned aircraft slammed into the tourist district near the busy Mall Hayam shopping center, sending crowds of residents and visitors fleeing for cover. The strike occurred just across from one of Eilat’s most popular commercial hubs, packed with tourists and locals celebrating the holiday week.
Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency services said they treated around 19 people at the scene, including two in serious condition. One victim, a 60-year-old man, sustained severe limb injuries, while another, a 26-year-old man, suffered shrapnel wounds to the chest. Another person was moderately wounded, and roughly 15 others sustained light injuries or shock. Several of the seriously wounded were evacuated by helicopter to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.
“The reports we received spoke of a strike near a building in the heart of the tourist district. Our teams arrived quickly, while firefighters put out the blaze,” said MDA paramedic Eyal Dadon.
Failed Interceptions and Security Concerns
The Israeli Air Force confirmed that multiple attempts were made to intercept the drone using Iron Dome systems, but the aircraft managed to evade Israel’s layered defenses before exploding in the crowded area. Sirens were triggered across Eilat, and residents reported hearing several loud explosions.
Police immediately cordoned off the impact site, and bomb disposal experts were dispatched to analyze debris and determine whether fragments came from interceptor missiles or the drone itself. Search and rescue teams continued to operate in the area late into the night.
The IDF confirmed the drone had been launched from Yemen and vowed to investigate how it bypassed defensive systems. Since March 18, when Israel resumed its offensive against Hamas in Gaza, the Iran-backed Houthi militia has launched nearly 90 ballistic missiles and at least 41 drones toward Israel.
Mounting Local and International Reaction
Eilat Mayor Eli Lankari condemned the repeated attacks, noting that this was the third Houthi drone crash in the city in less than two weeks. “Although they are trying to disrupt our lives, they will not succeed,” he said. “The IDF must provide a full defensive envelope for Eilat — in the air, at sea, and on land.”
International leaders also condemned the strike. German Ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert said the world must not normalize Houthi attempts to kill civilians. French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X that he “strongly condemns” the attack, calling it an assault “right in the middle of the Rosh Hashanah holiday,” and expressed solidarity with the wounded and their families.
Wednesday’s incident follows a similar attack last week when another Houthi drone crashed into the courtyard of an Eilat hotel, causing no casualties.
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