Houthi drone slams into Israeli airport as defence system falters

Flights were suspended and parts of Israel’s Ramon Airport evacuated on Sunday after reports that a Houthi drone from Yemen had crashed into the passenger terminal, forcing authorities to shut the airspace over the facility.

The Israeli army said it was investigating reports of an air defense failure after a drone managed to reach the airport undetected. According to Al Jazeera, the military claimed it had intercepted two of the three drones launched, while the status of the third remained unconfirmed.

Authorities said a 63-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman were injured when the drone crashed. Both were transported to hospital, while several others at the site reportedly suffered panic attacks.

Military sources said three drones were launched toward Israel from Yemen, with the Israeli air force attempting to intercept them. The latest incident comes amid a surge in Houthi drone and missile activity targeting Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza war.

On Thursday, a missile fired from Yemen landed outside Israeli territory, just a day after two others were intercepted. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree later claimed the group had attempted to strike Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport with a ballistic missile.

Read more: Sirens jolt Israelis out of sleep after Houthi missile targets Ben Gurion airport

Houthi attacks on Israel have increased in recent months particularly after Israeli forces resumed military operations in the Gaza Strip in March, following a fragile two-month ceasefire.

Since October 2023, the Houthis have also targeted commercial vessels in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Arabian Sea. The group has said these actions are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where over 59,000 people have reportedly been killed in the ongoing Israeli military campaign.