The Yemeni Armed Forces announced on Wednesday evening that they had carried out a qualitative military operation targeting two Israeli occupation sites in Umm al-Rashrash (Eilat), in southern occupied Palestine.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said in a statement that "the Air Force carried out the operation using two drones, which successfully struck two enemy sites," confirming that Israeli interception systems failed to stop them.

Saree added that "this is the second operation within the past 24 hours. On Tuesday, the Air Force carried out another mission with multiple drones, striking enemy targets in Umm al-Rashrash and Beer al-Sabe‘ in southern occupied Palestine."

He emphasized that the operation was conducted in support of the Palestinian people and their Resistance fighters, in response to what he described as genocidal crimes and a dangerous escalation committed by the Israeli enemy in Gaza, and as part of Yemen’s response to Israeli aggression against the country.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli broadcaster Kan 11 reported that 27 people were injured, two of them critically when a drone exploded in Eilat, in southern occupied Palestine. The drone exploded near the Club Hotel in the city’s tourist area, with witnesses reporting multiple explosions and sirens across the area. Israeli defenses failed to intercept the drone despite firing two missiles.

Part of a broader escalation

The latest announcement comes against the backdrop of a major escalation in Yemeni operations against Israeli targets over the past ten days.

On September 18, Yemeni forces carried out three simultaneous operations, striking Eilat, Beer al-Sabe’, and Tel Aviv, using both drones and the Palestine-2 hypersonic ballistic missile.

On September 16, Yemeni operations forced millions of settlers into shelters and even compelled Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s aircraft to make an emergency landing following a missile launch.

According to Yemeni officials, the operations are designed to support the Palestinian people in Gaza, retaliate against Israeli attacks on Yemen, and deter further escalation by showcasing Yemen’s growing strike capabilities. They also seek to sustain pressure until the Israeli assault on Gaza ends and the siege is lifted.