Houthi Drone Hits Eilat Hotel During Jewish Holiday, Injuring 22

A Houthi drone hit a hotel and shopping area in the southern city of Eilat during the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the New Year, on Wednesday evening, wounding 22 people, two of them seriously.

Israeli air defenses had been late in responding to the incoming drone, possibly because it appeared to have been flying low, and two Iron Dome missiles that had launched to intercept the drone had missed it.

The Jewish News Syndicate reported:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Wednesday night with Eilat Mayor Eli Lankari, aiming to reassure residents and bolster local confidence.

He wished a speedy recovery to those injured and warned that any attack on Israeli cities would be met with a strong response against the Houthi terrorist regime, citing past actions as precedent.

Netanyahu is en route to the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, where nations have focused on recognizing a Palestinian state and condemning Israel, even as the Jewish state is under attack.

Yemen does not share a border with Israel and there is no reason for the two countries to be at war. The Houthis, armed and funded by Iran, launched attacks on Israel and on international shipping in the Red Sea in solidarity with Hamas after the Palestinian terror group attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.

Since then, Israel has responded with direct air attacks — but the Houthis keep attacking Israel, with little response from the United Nations or indeed the neighboring Arab states.