On Sept. 7, 2025, a drone launched from Yemen by Houthi forces struck the arrivals hall at Ramon International Airport near Eilat in southern Israel; sirens did not sound and two people sustained minor injuries while authorities launched an investigation.
Key Takeaways
- A Houthi-launched drone hit the arrivals hall at Ramon Airport on Sept. 7, 2025.
- Israeli military says detection systems registered the drone but it was not classified as hostile.
- No sirens were triggered; the incident is under review by the IDF.
- Two people received minor injuries, and the airport was closed for about 90 minutes.
- Videos circulated online show broken glass and interior damage at the arrivals area.
- The attack is part of a wider escalation between Israel and Houthi forces that has included prior strikes on Israeli targets and Red Sea shipping.
Verified Facts
The Israel Defense Forces reported that a drone originating from Houthi-held areas in Yemen struck the arrivals hall at Ramon International Airport on Sept. 7. Emergency services logged a report at 14:35 local time, and Magen David Adom treated two people for minor injuries following the strike.
The Israel Airports Authority temporarily closed the southern Ramon airspace after the impact; operations resumed roughly 90 minutes later, according to the authority. Social media footage and still images show shattered windows and glass scattered across the arrivals floor.
An initial IAF inquiry indicated the device was detected by air defenses but was not classified as hostile, permitting it to traverse defensive layers. The military stated there is currently no indication of a technical failure in detection systems and announced an extensive investigation to determine how classification was missed.
Houthi-run military channels claimed responsibility and warned that airports inside what they described as occupied Palestine are not safe and will be targeted. Israeli officials say the strike continues an exchange of long-range attacks and retaliatory strikes between Israel and the Iran-aligned group.
Context & Impact
The incident follows a pattern of Houthi operations against Israeli targets and maritime traffic in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. In early May 2025 a Houthi-fired ballistic missile struck Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv after breaching defenses, briefly halting flights.
Ramon Airport serves as one of Israel’s international gateways, primarily for the resort city of Eilat on the Red Sea. Disruptions at Ramon can affect regional travel and tourism and raise wider concerns about the security of commercial aviation in the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea corridors.
Potential impacts include stricter airspace restrictions, temporary flight suspensions, and increased military and civilian coordination around airport protection. Airlines operating to the region may revise routes and advisories until investigations conclude.
- Air traffic: temporary closure lasted about 90 minutes.
- Public safety: two minor injuries reported by MDA.
- Defense posture: IDF to review classification procedures for detected aerial objects.
Official Statements
There is no indication of a technical malfunction in the existing detection systems; an extensive investigation is expected.
Israel Defense Forces
The airports inside occupied Palestine are not safe and will be continuously targeted.
Yemeni Armed Forces, Houthi-controlled statement
Unconfirmed
- Whether the non-classification was due to human error, algorithm thresholds, identification ambiguity, or another cause remains under investigation.
- Houthi claims that the airport was fully shut down as a direct result of the strike are partly confirmed by the temporary closure, but full operational impacts and timeline details are still being verified.
- Any broader command-and-control or attribution details beyond the Houthi claim have not been independently confirmed.
Bottom Line
The strike at Ramon Airport underscores vulnerabilities in classifying and responding to long-range drones even in states with layered defenses. Authorities in Israel are conducting a formal review while regional tensions and threats to aviation persist; travelers and airlines should monitor official advisories until investigations conclude.