TEL AVIV (Dispatches) – In a sharp escalation of retaliatory operations, Yemeni drones struck southern Israeli-occupied territories on Sunday, hitting Ramon Airport and injuring eight people, while the Israeli regime announced plans for an extraordinary and secretive emergency cabinet meeting amid fears of continued Yemeni attacks.
Israeli authorities confirmed that six drones were launched from Yemen toward Israeli-occupied territory, with one successfully impacting the passenger terminal at Ramon Airport in the Negev desert. The Israeli Red Star of David emergency service reported eight injuries, and firefighting crews were dispatched to contain the damage.
Israeli radar systems allegedly tracked and intercepted three of the drones, but the fourth breached defenses to strike the airport. Following the attack, the Israeli military placed its forces on high alert, closing the airspace around Ramon Airport and suspending flights temporarily.
The strikes followed recent Israeli air raids on Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, which martyred Yemen’s Prime Minister Ahmad Ghaleb al-Rahwi and several ministers during a government workshop. Several other ministers were reportedly wounded, some critically, prompting Yemen’s Ansarullah movement to vow a decisive response against Israel.
One of Ansarullah’s leaders, Nasr al-Din Amir, deputy head of the movement’s media office, said that  airports in Israeli occupied territories are no longer safe and urged foreign nationals to leave immediately to protect their lives.
“The targeting of Ramon Airport was a unique military operation,” Amir said in remarks carried by Al Jazeera. He emphasized that Israel’s airports are no longer secure, warning foreign nationals to evacuate swiftly.
Amir further stressed that Yemen’s reach extends deep into Israeli occupied territory, targeting locations protected by the highest levels of security, some over 2,000 kilometers away. He added that the more Israel believed Yemen would retreat or weaken, the harder the blows it received.
Israeli media reported that four drones were launched from Yemen, with one hitting the Ramon Airport terminal. Israel’s Channel 14 reported that radar systems tracked three of the drones, while Israeli military radio confirmed the drones entered Sinai Peninsula airspace as military units sought to intercept and destroy them.
Following the attack, Israeli authorities closed the airspace over the area and halted flights. Firefighting teams operated extensively at Ramon Airport as emergency services responded to the incident.
In reaction to the escalating threat, Israeli media sai d the regime held an urgent, highly classified cabinet meeting in an undisclosed underground location, citing concerns over Yemeni attacks. The precise details of the meeting remain confidential, though security and military strategies were reportedly discussed.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the vicinity of the Israeli chief of staff’s residence was declared a restricted military zone after the drone strikes, reflecting heightened security concerns.
The escalation comes after a week of intensified confrontations. On Thursday, Israeli airstrikes targeted Yemeni government officials in Sana’a, killing the prime minister and several ministers. The Yemeni government condemned the attacks as blatant aggression, and Ansarullah vowed swift retaliation, which materialized in Sunday’s drone strikes on Israeli infrastructure.
The conflict between Israel and Ansarullah has entered a new phase, with Yemen demonstrating its growing capabilities to target deep within Israeli-occupied territory. Ansarullah’s drone strikes underscore its commitment to responding firmly to Israeli aggression and supporting Palestinian rights.
As tensions rise, Yemen’s leadership has urged caution for foreign nationals and signaled that its military operations will continue to defend the country’s sovereignty and respond to further attacks.