By Eniola Amadu
A drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has strucked the southern Israeli city of Eilat, injuring 22 people in what medics described as a rare breach of Israel’s air defence systems.
The Israeli military confirmed it attempted to intercept the drone, while rescue workers said two of the victims suffered severe shrapnel wounds.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, claimed responsibility, saying two drones were fired at Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, warned the group in a post on X that “anyone who harms Israel will be harmed sevenfold.”
Israel has carried out retaliatory strikes on Yemen after previous Houthi attacks.
In Gaza, local hospitals reported at least 41 deaths from Israeli fire.
At least 22 people were killed when a strike hit tents sheltering displaced residents in Gaza City, including women and children.
The Israeli military said it had targeted Hamas militants with precision weapons, arguing the group embeds itself in civilian areas, which it blames for civilian casualties.
Another Israeli strike on Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killed 12 people and wounded 18, according to Al-Awda Hospital.
Separately, four members of one family — including two children — were killed in their home in Nuseirat, health officials said. The military has not commented on those incidents.
Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza said it received three bodies of people shot while seeking humanitarian aid.
Both health officials and the U.N. human rights office say hundreds have been killed in similar circumstances in recent months. The Israeli military insists it only fires warning shots when threatened.
In the occupied West Bank, a 24-year-old Palestinian man was killed near Jenin.
Israeli forces said he was shot after hurling an explosive device, but the Palestinian Health Ministry identified him as a civilian casualty.
The renewed violence unfolded as the Gaza conflict dominated discussions at the U.N. General Assembly.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump’s lead negotiator Steve Witkoff highlighted a new “Trump 21-point plan for peace.”
While details remain undisclosed, Witkoff said it had been shared with Arab leaders and expressed confidence in an imminent breakthrough.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi called the proposal “an important foundation” for future talks.
The U.S., Qatar, and Egypt have mediated for months to secure a ceasefire and hostage deal, though progress stalled after an Israeli airstrike in Qatar killed Hamas figures.
The Gaza war, triggered by Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October 2023, has left more than 65,000 Palestinians dead, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, which says women and children make up about half of the casualties.
