Yemen's Houthis claim responsibility for drone attacks on Israel

SANAA - Yemen's Houthis group said Sunday it carried out eight drone attacks on Israel, including a strike on Ramon Airport in southern Israel that wounded several people earlier in the day.

In a statement broadcast by the Houthis-run al-Masirah TV, the group's military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the Houthis launched "eight drones targeting the Negev, Eilat, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Tel Aviv".

He said a drone hit Ramon Airport and forced it to shut down and suspend air traffic, while the other drones targeted sensitive military targets in other cities.

"We confirm the escalation of our military operations and will not back down from our position in support of Gaza," he said, warning airlines to avoid Israeli airspace and airports.

A spokesperson for the Israel Airports Authority confirmed earlier in the day that a Houthi drone struck the arrivals hall at Ramon Airport, a relatively small facility about 18 km north of Eilat.

Israel's Magen David Adom rescue service said at least two people were lightly injured and evacuated to a hospital in the nearby resort city of Eilat. Some Israeli media put the number of injuries at eight.

The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have targeted Israel since November 2023 to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel has responded with regular retaliatory strikes, including an airstrike last month in Sanaa that killed 12 Houthi leaders.