A drone launched from Yemen by the Houthi rebels crashed Thursday evening in the entrance courtyard of a hotel in the Red Sea resort town of Eilat, officials and eyewitnesses said.
A fire broke out at the entrance courtyard of the Jacob Hotel as a result of the attack. The Magen David Adom emergency service said no injuries were reported.
Houthi drone crashes outside Eilat hotel
The incident came shortly after air raid sirens sounded in the city, sending residents and tourists into shelters. Witnesses described hearing a loud explosion and seeing smoke near the shoreline hotel district.
Police said officers from the Eilat district were dispatched immediately and cordoned off the site. “We urge residents to follow instructions, avoid approaching the scene, and not touch any rocket debris that may contain explosives,” police said in a statement, adding that suspicious objects should be reported directly to Israel’s 100 emergency hotline.
The military confirmed that rescue forces were operating in the area and called on the public to continue following Home Front Command guidelines.
The strike comes a week after alarms sounded in Eilat and near Ramon Airport amid fears of another drone launched from Yemen. At that time, the military reported intercepting one drone before it entered Israeli airspace, while a second disappeared from radar. Earlier that same day, the army said it intercepted a Houthi-fired missile over the Negev desert.
Last week, a Houthi drone hit the passenger hall at Ramon Airport outside Eilat, injuring two workers — a 63-year-old man hit by shrapnel and a 52-year-old woman who fell during the blast. Several others were treated for shock, and eight people in total were taken to Eilat’s Yoseftal Medical Center with light injuries.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran and control much of Yemen, have launched dozens of drone and missile attacks toward Israel in recent months, targeting the Red Sea corridor and southern port cities. Most have been intercepted by Israel’s air defenses or by U.S. and allied naval forces operating in the region.