Drone crashes into school in southern Israeli port city, causing explosion

By Abdel Raouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - A powerful explosion occurred Thursday at a school in Eilat in southern Israel after a drone crashed whose source has not been determined.

In a statement viewed by Anadolu, the Israeli army said that “a drone crashed into a civilian building in the city of Eilat” without specifying its source.

“The source of the drone and the details of the incident are under investigation,” it said.

Earlier Thursday, witnesses told the Israeli Broadcasting Authority that they “heard a sound resembling a rocket falling” when the explosion occurred.

But Israeli Broadcasting Authority quoted the army as saying that “no rocket impact was identified in the city.”

Video footage in local media and social media platforms showed property damage to the school.​​​​​​​

Israeli army radio reported that “seven Israelis suffered from panic as a result of the incident.”

In a statement viewed by Anadolu, Israeli police confirmed the presence of officers at the scene “out of concern for a potential security incident.”

The Maariv newspaper referred to the explosion as “mysterious.”

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala