Israeli army says it intercepted drone heading toward Eliat in southern Israel

By Said Amouri

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army said late Saturday it intercepted an unmanned aerial vehicle that was headed to the southern city of Eilat.

The army said a jet fighter shot down the drone above the Red Sea before it breached Israeli airspace.

In an earlier statement, the army said it fired interceptor missiles toward two targets above the Red Sea.

No group had announced responsibility for the firing of the aerial objects.

In recent days, the Houthi group announced it fired explosive-laden drones and cruise missiles toward southern Israeli targets.

Last week, it said it “captured an Israeli ship” in the Red Sea, and had taken it to the Yemeni coast in support of Palestinians in Gaza, and to pressure officials to end the Israeli onslaught against Gaza.

On Friday, a humanitarian pause took effect between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, which temporarily halted the fighting in Gaza which left immense destruction across the enclave.

Israel launched a massive military campaign in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.
It has since killed at least 14,854 Palestinians, including 6,150 children and over 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave.

The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar