Three drones launched by the Houthis in Yemen were shot down by the Israeli Air Force over southern Israel within half an hour Monday, the military said.
There were no reports of injuries or damage from the attacks, which followed the launch of four drones the day before, one of which exploded in the Ramon International Airport.
Monday saw another drone intercepted near the airport, the military said, setting off sirens. Several interceptor missiles were launched over the Eilat area — just south of the airport — to shoot down the drone.
Another drone set off sirens in the southern city of Dimona and the nearby area. It too was shot down.
A third drone was shot down that did not set off any sirens, “according to protocol,” meaning it was downed before it could threaten any targets on the ground.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
On Sunday, a drone launched by the Houthis evaded Israeli air defenses and smashed into the Ramon Airport’s passenger terminal, causing damage.
נעשה נסיון ליירט כטב”ם מתימן מעל מפרץ אילת. לא הופעלו התראות pic.twitter.com/2Zoqq6s8uS
— איתי בלומנטל ???????? Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) September 8, 2025
A 63-year-old man was lightly injured by shrapnel from the blast, according to the Magen David Adom ambulance service. The man, along with a woman who fell over while running from the scene, was taken to Yoseftal Medical Center in Eilat for treatment. Several other people required treatment for acute anxiety, MDA added.
An initial Israeli Air Force investigation found that the drone was detected by radar, but was wrongly not classified as a threat by air defense troops.
As a result, no sirens sounded, no attempts were made to shoot it down, and the drone ultimately struck the airport.
כטב”ם ששוגר מתימן לפני זמן קצר פגע באולם הנוסעים בנמל התעופה רמון בערבה. בצה”ל מתחקרים את האירוע
במקום מספר נפגעים קל pic.twitter.com/3bSMtgGPuk
— איתי בלומנטל ???????? Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) September 7, 2025
Sunday saw the military shoot down three other Houthi drones that set off warning sirens in several communities on the Egyptian border.
While designated as an international airport, nearly all flights to and from Ramon are domestic. During the war in Gaza, thousands of Palestinians — including patients, wounded individuals and their family members — have been evacuated from the Strip via the airport for medical treatment abroad.
The drone launches on Sunday came amid a wave of Houthi missile and drone attacks over the past two weeks following Israel’s assassination of Houthi prime minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi and several members of his cabinet in an attack in Yemen.
Damage caused to the passenger terminal at Ramon Airport in southern Israel following a Houthi drone impact, September 7, 2025. (Social media: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
The Houthis — whose slogan calls for “Death to America, Death to Israel, [and] a Curse on the Jews” — began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas massacre that sparked the war in Gaza.
The Houthis briefly held their fire when a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas in January 2025.
By that point, they had fired over 40 ballistic missiles and dozens of attack drones and cruise missiles at Israel, including one drone that killed a civilian and wounded several others in Tel Aviv in July 2024, prompting Israel’s first strike in Yemen.
Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have launched 80 ballistic missiles and at least 31 drones at Israel. Several of the missiles have fallen short.
In response, Israel has repeatedly attacked the Houthis in Yemen, located some 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) away.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Is The Times of Israel important to you?
If so, we have a request.
Every day, even during war, our journalists keep you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fast, fair and free coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel – and we know you do too. So today, we have an ask: show your appreciation for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Yes, I’ll give
Yes, I’ll give
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
Source
