Houthis Strike the city of Eilat Again: 20 Injured, Two Seriously as Drone Hits Tourist Center

A Houthi drone exploded in Eilat on Wednesday afternoon, injuring at least 20 people — two of them seriously — in the third attack on the southern resort city in two weeks. Despite the strike, Israelis quickly returned to the malls and the promenade, which appeared busy just hours after the blast.

The drone struck near the sea-facing mall and close to the Club Hotel, but the hotel clarified that no damage was caused to the complex or its parking lot. New footage from the moment of the strike shows three people standing just meters from the impact site, narrowly escaping injury. One man was seen sprinting past a tree moments after it caught fire.

Iron Dome Interceptors Missed Target

According to the IDF, two Iron Dome interceptors were launched at the drone but failed to hit it. Hours later, a missile fired from Yemen fell short before reaching Israeli territory.

An alarm was sounded in Eilat before the impact, but many civilians were seen outside watching or photographing the drone instead of entering protected areas. The Home Front Command reiterated that “upon receiving an alert, one must enter the protected area for 10 minutes. These are life-saving instructions.”

The drone reportedly flew slowly and descended toward its target before exploding. Across the border in Aqaba, Jordan, residents were heard cheering and shouting “Allahu Akbar” as the blast occurred.

Houthis Mock Israel Online

Senior Houthi figure Hazam al-Assad, who frequently posts in broken Hebrew, mocked Defense Minister Israel Katz following the incident, writing: “The day is approaching when we will raise our flag over the ruins of the temporary entity.”

Residents and Tourists Share Shock

Oz, whose Eilat apartment was damaged, told Ynet: “We were on our way to Eilat when we heard. Windows were shattered, plaster was damaged. My mother had a panic attack.” His mother, Riki, added: “This is a resort town. People come here to disconnect — but it’s impossible. There’s no freedom when you come here for vacation.”

Keren, a visitor from central Israel, described the chaos: “There was an alarm, but we had no time to reach a shelter. I ran with everyone outside. Our room is okay, but guests’ rooms were damaged. It was scary. I booked a flight home tomorrow. My family is worried.”

Haim and Shlomi Azran from Ashkelon said they managed to reach a shelter: “We even saw the drone. It feels like it’s chasing us — but we’re used to alarms.”

Oshrat, also from Ashkelon, said her 13-year-old son remains traumatized since the war began: “He woke us up crying, ‘Mommy, come on.’ We ran to the stairwell. He’s scared, but we came back. We planned this vacation a long time ago after Ashkelon was so badly hit.”

Aliza from Jerusalem summed up the tension: “It was stressful. I worried about my mother. But Israelis move on. We’re used to this.”