A Houthi drone struck Ramon Airport near Eilat on Sunday without warning, marking one of the rare successful attacks by the Yemen-based group since the outbreak of war. Although most Houthi launches are intercepted or fail to reach Israel, the attack adds to a series of significant operations that have raised concerns in Israel.
Israel has continued occasional strikes in Yemen targeting Houthi positions, but the group continues to launch missiles and drones toward Israel, aiming to hit targets and celebrating any apparent success.
Drone strike on Ramon Airport
After the Ramon Airport strike, senior Houthi correspondent Nasr al-Din Amer wrote on X that it was a "unique military operation" and issued further threats. "The enemy’s airports are not safe. Foreigners must leave to protect themselves. Other sensitive targets are under fire," he said.
Houthi official Hazem al-Asad posted in Hebrew on X with videos from the airport, saying, "The real revenge has not yet begun. What awaits you will be much harsher." Houthi-linked channels circulated images with captions warning that "the enemy’s airports are not safe" and "there will be no security or stability for the Zionist enemy and our operations will continue."
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree has not officially claimed responsibility for the attack. It occurred about a week and a half after Operation Lucky Drop, in which Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and several government ministers were killed. The Houthis vowed revenge and repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel, making Sunday’s strike one of the few successful hits.
Despite many failed attempts, the Houthis have scored occasional successes during the war, demonstrating that their threats cannot be ignored.
Past attacks highlight the threat
The recent targeted killings in Yemen followed a previous Houthi success last month when a missile with a cluster warhead fired toward Israel partially exploded in a yard in Ginaton. Since then, the Houthis claimed responsibility for another missile launch that Israel’s defense systems said was intercepted.
On May 4, the group struck near Ben Gurion Airport with a ballistic missile that was not intercepted, causing casualties. Senior Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti told Qatari channel Al-Arabi, "The escalation will continue as long as Israel does not stop the attacks in Gaza. There are no red lines in our conflict with the Zionist entity, the United States and Britain. The Ben Gurion strike demonstrates our ability to hit fortified sites inside Israel."
May Houthi missile strike near Ben Gurion Airport
Drone attacks across Israel
Other attacks in recent months include a Houthi drone that exploded in a penthouse in Yavne on December 9, 2024, and another that struck a school in Ramat Ef’al on December 19, causing damage from the warhead. Two days later, a missile hit Jaffa, creating a crater in a playground, and on December 25 a drone from Yemen exploded in an open area in Ashkelon. In July 2024, a Houthi drone crashed into an apartment in Tel Aviv without warning, killing Yevgeny Perder. The Houthis claimed it was a "Jaffa" drone, which they reportedly continued to use.
Prepared for war
Beyond their eliminated political leadership, the Houthis maintain a military command and operatives throughout Yemen and had prepared for war with Israel long before the conflict began.
Following the decline of the Iranian-Shia axis, the group has become a daily threat to Israel. Senior Houthi officials have repeatedly framed their operations as victories, whether they hit targets, fail, or die as "martyrs." Even the mass rush of Israeli civilians to shelters during alerts is considered a success by the Houthis.
Last weekend, supporters of the Houthi regime celebrated the "birth of the prophet" across Yemen, including in the Sanaa region, which was attacked less than two weeks ago. For the Houthis, maintaining what they call a "firm stance" is a strategic advantage, and incidents like Sunday’s strike reinforce their determination to continue attacks with the potential for success.