Suicide Drone Hits Port of Eilat

IDF air defenses destroy a UAV over Eilat, Sept. 25 (IDF)

Published Sep 25, 2024 3:57 PM by The Maritime Executive

[Breaking] On Wednesday night, a suicide drone hit a target in the port of Eilat, the southernmost city in Israel. 

Images posted on social media showed one large blast at an undetermined location along the waterfront. The source of the attack is under investigation, but early accounts suggest that it may have arrived from the east - potentially suggesting attackers in Iraq, or a drone from Houthi territory diverting and then arriving from an unexpected direction. 

 

The Israeli Defense Forces reported shooting down two UAVs on Wednesday night, indicating that the attack may have had broader aims. 

 

The extent of the damage is still being assessed. 

Eilat's once-busy commercial seaport has been largely shut down by Houthi attacks on Israel-bound shipping, and occasional attempted missile strikes from Houthi territory have added an additional level of risk. Vessels arriving from the Mediterranean can offload their cargoes in Haifa or Ashdod instead, without transiting the Suez Canal to get to Eilat; vessels that would ordinarily transit to Eilat from the east, primarily ro/ros from Asia with cargoes of cars for the Israeli market, often choose to avoid the Red Sea because of the Houthi threat.