Israel closes airspace at Southern Airport after Houthi drone strike

Tel Aviv [Israel], September 7 (ANI/TPS): A drone launched from Yemen struck the passenger hall at Ramon Airport near Eilat on Sunday, injuring one person with shrapnel and causing another to suffer a panic attack, Israeli officials said.

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the strike and announced that airspace over the airport had been closed, with all takeoffs and landings suspended.

An IDF spokesman said the Air Force intercepted three drones approaching from Yemen during the day, with two destroyed before they crossed into Israeli territory. "Alerts were activated according to policy," the spokesman said. Sirens sounded shortly after 2 p.m. in several communities near the Egyptian border, including Nitzana, Kadesh Barnea, Khemin, and Be'er Milka. The Home Front Command declared the incident over less than 10 minutes later, allowing residents to leave shelters.

Magen David Adom emergency responders treated a man with light injuries and several other people who suffered panic attacks.

Regional officials voiced frustration over the ongoing threat. Eran Doron, head of the Ramat Negev Regional Council, said drone attacks and smuggling attempts have become "an unacceptable reality" for local communities. "I expect the heads of state to understand that the Nitzana area is threatened on a daily basis, and to work to strengthen the settlement in this region of the country. I thank the security forces for their precise action," he added.

The attack marks a rare strike on Ramon Airport, which serves as Israel's secondary international gateway. Located near Eilat in the southern Negev Desert, it has remained operational throughout much of the conflict despite repeated threats from Iran-backed groups in Yemen.

Ramon Airport, officially the Ilana and Assaf Ramon International Airport, is Israel's second international gateway after Ben Gurion. Opened in 2019, north of Eilat, it replaced the old Eilat Airport in the city and Ovda Airport for international traffic. Built to handle around 2 million passengers a year, with expansion capacity to 4 million, it serves domestic flights from Tel Aviv and Haifa as well as international routes, particularly European charter and low-cost carriers bringing tourists to Eilat and the Red Sea.

Since March 18, when Israel resumed its campaign against Hamas following a temporary cease-fire, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis have launched more than 70 ballistic missiles and over 23 drones at Israel. Most were either intercepted or fell short of Israeli territory. Since Hamas's October 7 attack, the terror group has fired more than 200 missiles and 170 drones.

From bases along the Yemeni coast, the Iran-backed Houthis have attacked or harassed more than 100 ships in the Red Sea as they traversed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow maritime chokepoint between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa.

Much of the world's oil passes through the Strait from the Indian Ocean toward the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea. The Houthi attacks have brought the Port of Eilat to a standstill.

Approximately 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage, in Hamas's attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 48 remaining hostages, about 20 are believed to be alive. (ANI/TPS)

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