Twenty injured in Yemen drone attack on Israel, rescuers and military say

Rescuers say 20 people have been injured in southern Israel after the Israeli military said a drone was launched from Yemen.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the drone struck the town of Eilat on the Red Sea coast, with attempts made to intercept it.

The Magen David Adom emergency medical service said 20 people were taken to Yoseftal Hospital – two with serious limb injuries.

Israeli media has described it as a Houthi strike but the Yemeni group has not officially claimed responsibility.

Israeli TV stations broadcast live footage said to be of the drone strike and the area it hit, which showed billowing smoke rising from the site.

“IDF troops, alongside the Israel Police, were dispatched to the area of Eilat after receiving a report of a UAV attack,” the IDF said in a statement.

It added that troops and the police were assisting in evacuating the area and a helicopter had been deployed to evacuate the wounded from the scene.

The military urged people to stay in protected areas for 10 minutes should they receive an alert.

The attack, if claimed by the Houthis, would be one of the most serious launched by the group in terms of casualties.

In July 2024, one person was killed and 10 injured in a Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv when a drone struck an apartment building near the US embassy branch office.

Earlier in September, one person was wounded when a Houthi drone hit Ramon Airport, just north of Eilat.