A building in the southern Israeli city of Eilat was lightly damaged by a drone attack overnight Sunday, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
The UAV was launched from Iraq and entered Israeli territory from Jordan, Ynet reported.
Sirens sounded in the area of the Red Sea resort town around 1:30 a.m.
“IDF soldiers identified a suspicious aerial target that crossed from the east toward Israeli territory. The target fell in the area of the Gulf of Eilat. No injuries were reported and there was light damage caused to a building,” according to the IDF.
🇮🇱 — VID UPDATE: IDF says a drone attack in Eilat lightly damages building, no injuries. Earlier reports said a naval base was hit. Iran backed Islamic Resistance terror gorup of Iraq takes responsibility. pic.twitter.com/8un4SxBXDB
— Belaaz News (@TheBelaaz) April 1, 2024
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq took responsibility for the attack, claiming it struck a “vital target” in Israel.
The umbrella group of Iranian-backed radical Shi’ite militias in Iraq and Syria is composed of Kata’ib Hezbollah, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhadaa.
The Erbil-based, Kurdish news website Rudaw describes the Islamic Resistance in Iraq as “a network of shadow Iraqi militia groups” associated with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
They have attempted other attacks on Israeli territory in recent months, including launching two drones from Syria at northern Israel in early January, which were shot down by Israeli Air Force fighter jets. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq said the attacks were “in support of Gaza.”
In December, Jordanian air defenses intercepted armed drone fired by the group that was headed toward Eilat.
The group stated that, “The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted a target in the occupied Umm al-Rashrash, Eilat with appropriate weapons,” per Rudaw. (Mujahideen means “holy fighters.”)
Jordan’s Ministry of Defense later said it shot the drone down, Maariv reported.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have also launched multiple missile and drone attacks at Eilat in support of Hamas. Most of the launches were thwarted by Israeli, US or Saudi forces or missed their targets.
Three Israelis wounded in terror stabbing
In related news, three men were seriously wounded on Sunday night in a terror attack at a mall in the southern city of Gan Yavne.
Magen David Adom medics treated the victims, ages 25, 20 and 17, for multiple stab wounds before evacuating them to Assuta Hospital in Ashdod.
The two adult victims, who suffered serious head wounds, were transferred from Assuta to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv and Beilinson Hospital Petah Tikva, and were scheduled to undergo neurosurgery. The remaining victim, who was in moderate and stable condition, was scheduled for surgery at Assuta in the morning.
תיעוד – שוטר מנטרל את המחבל שביצע את פיגוע הדקירה בגן יבנה
מפכ”ל המשטרה, השר לביטחון לאומי ומפקד מחוז דרום בזירת הפיגוע עם השוטר והפקח שאיתרו ונטרלו את המחבל, תושב יו”ש ללא אישורי שהייה >>> pic.twitter.com/Q17wbER0mc
— משטרת ישראל (@IL_police) April 1, 2024
Security forces responding to the attack shot and killed the terrorist, who was identified as a 19-year-old Palestinian from Dura, located near Hebron in Judea.
Police said the terrorist had entered Israel illegally via a hole in the security fence, and authorities were probing whether he was employed illegally at the mall.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited the scene of the attack and urged civilians to arm themselves.
“We’re at war, and the enemy has additional motivation to harm us,” he said.
Hamas praised the “heroic operation” and urged Palestinians to “escalate” terror attacks on Israelis.
The attack came after an Israel Defense Forces officer was moderately wounded on Sunday morning in a stabbing at Beersheva’s central bus station.
The terrorist was shot and killed by another Israeli soldier who was on the scene, according to the military.
Hebrew-language media identified the attacker as Naji Abu Freh, 28, a resident of the nearby Bedouin city of Rahat.
With reporting by JNS.
