The IDF said Sunday it intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle launched from Yemen, marking the latest in a series of cross-border attacks linked to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The drone triggered an alert in the southern Israeli community of Bnei Netzarim, near the Egypt-Israel border. The military confirmed the UAV, which entered Israeli airspace from Yemen, was successfully downed by the Israeli Air Force. There were no injuries or damage reported.
Shortly after the alert was issued, the Home Front Command announced the incident had concluded. “Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago regarding a hostile aircraft infiltration in Bnei Netzarim, a suspicious aerial target launched from Yemen was intercepted by the IAF [Israeli Air Force],” the IDF said in a statement said in a statement.
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On Friday, Israeli forces intercepted a ballistic missile that prompted widespread alarms in central Israel, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea region and the West Bank. The missile was downed without casualties, but flights were temporarily delayed at Ben Gurion International Airport.
Earlier in the week, additional UAVs were intercepted over Egyptian territory, including near the community of Shlomit in the Eshkol Regional Council. In those instances, alerts were limited, and no injuries or damage were reported. On Tuesday, another ballistic missile was intercepted after alarms sounded in major urban areas, including Tel Aviv, the Yarkon region and parts of the West Bank.
Despite repeated Israeli airstrikes targeting Houthi infrastructure in Yemen, the rebel group has continued its attempts to strike Israeli territory. On July 21, the IDF carried out attacks on the Houthis' main port, targeting efforts to rebuild damaged infrastructure, as well as fuel tanks, vessels used for military operations and other assets the IDF said were used to support “terror activities against Israel and naval targets in the region.”