Drone attacked Eshkol Regional Council area in southern Negev, within vicinity of Gaza Strip, alleges Israeli army
The Israeli army claimed Saturday that it intercepted a drone launched from the east towards settlements in the southern Negev region, near the Gaza Strip.
"Following the sirens that were activated a short while ago in Talmei Eliyahu, Gvulot, and Ein HaBesor, the Air Force intercepted a drone that entered the country from the east,” the army said in a statement on X.
The three mentioned settlements are located in the Eshkol Regional Council area Negev, within the vicinity of Gaza.
The army did not specify the side responsible for launching the drone, and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack as of yet.
Earlier in the day, at least 20 Israelis were injured when a missile launched from Yemen landed in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa area in central Israel.
The Israeli army confirmed the attack, stating: "A missile originating in Yemen impacted central Israel after interception attempts failed."
In a statement, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced that their fighters carried out "a military operation targeting a military site of the Israeli enemy in the occupied Jaffa area with a hypersonic ballistic missile."
The announcement comes after the Houthis claimed multiple drone strikes on central and southern Israel on Friday and three more military operations against Israeli positions on Thursday, coinciding with Israeli airstrikes on Yemen's cities of Sana'a and Al Hudaydah.
The Houthis, in solidarity with Gaza, which has been facing an Israeli genocidal war since Oct. 7, 2023, have targeted Israeli cargo ships or those associated with Tel Aviv in the Red Sea with missiles and drones, expressing a determination to continue operations until the end of the onslaught on the enclave.
Since the beginning of 2024, a coalition led by the US has been conducting airstrikes that it said are targeting Houthi locations in parts of Yemen in response to attacks by the group in the Red Sea. The counterattacks have been occasionally met with retaliation from the group.
With the intervention of Washington and London and an escalation of tensions, the Houthis announced that they consider all American and British ships military targets.