The Israeli military said on Wednesday that a drone launched from Yemen struck the Israeli city of Eilat, and more than 20 people have been reported wounded.
The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, took credit for the attack later in the day. Houthis military spokesman Yahya Saree said Yemeni forces fired a total of two drones at Israel, and said the attack “achieved its goal.”
The Houthis have vowed that their drone and missile attacks on Israel will continue until there’s a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the Israeli blockade on the territory.
Wednesday’s attack marks a rare instance of a Yemeni drone making it through Israel’s air defenses. The Israeli military said that two Iron Dome interceptors were fired at the drone and acknowledged the failure to shoot it down. Footage from social media shows the drone making an impact near a hotel in a shopping area.
The attack comes as Israel has significantly ramped up its airstrikes on Yemen. On September 10, Israeli strikes pounded two newspaper offices in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, killing at least 31 people, marking the worst massacre of journalists since 2009, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
The Houthis are known for their resilience and did not back down in the face of a very heavy US bombing campaign that the Trump administration conducted from March 15 to May 6, which killed more than 250 civilians. The US gave up on trying to get the Houthis to stop their attacks on Israel and blockade of Israeli shipping and agreed to a ceasefire with the group.