An image shared on social media appearing to show dark plumes of smoke rising above Israel's Ramon International Airport. Photo courtesy of social media.
In a statement, the service said five people sustained light injuries from shrapnel, while three others were treated for anxiety. Paramedics were providing medical treatment at the scene, it added.
A spokesperson for Israel’s airports authority said the drone "hit the arrivals hall" and that operations at Ramon airport had been suspended.
About three hours after the incident, the airport returned to full operation, according to Israeli media.
The Israeli military said the drone was the fourth launched from Yemen within minutes of each other on Sunday.
In an earlier statement, it reported intercepting three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) en route from Yemen, two of them before they crossed into Israeli airspace. It did not specify what happened to the third.
It later confirmed that an additional UAV "fell in the Ramon airport area," adding that no sirens were sounded and the incident was under review.
The attack came after Yemen’s Houthi rebels vowed to avenge the killing of their prime minister in an Israeli air strike last month.
Following the launches, Hizam al-Assad, a member of the Houthi political bureau, posted on X, "The real revenge hasn't even started yet... What awaits you will be much worse".
Israel assassinated the head of the Houthi government together with 11 other senior officials in air strikes two weeks ago.
Sunday's attack was the first strike by Houthis on an Israeli strategic target since a ballistic missile from Yemen hit Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport in May.
Since Israel’s war on Gaza erupted in October 2023, the Houthis have declared their support for the Palestinians and have launched regular drone and missile attacks against Israel in solidarity.
In response, Israel has carried out several rounds of retaliatory strikes in Yemen, targeting ports, power stations and the international airport in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
The Houthis have repeatedly said they would halt attacks once a ceasefire is established in Israel’s war on Gaza and Israel lifts its blockade, which has sparked famine in the besieged strip.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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