Hostile drone hits IDF base in Eilat after Iranian proxy in Iraq claims attack on Israel

A hostile drone struck a building in an IDF naval base in Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat overnight, the IDF confirmed on Monday morning.

Shortly past 1:30 a.m. local time, drone infiltration alerts began sounding in Eilat and the surrounding Ayalot region.

Israel Defense Forces at first stated that a hostile aircraft had crossed into Israel from the east, indicating from the direction of the Kingdom of Jordan, and fell in the area of the Bay of Eilat.

“There were no casualties and there was minor damage to a building,” the statement added.

Later in the day, the IDF confirmed that the drone struck a hangar in the area of the naval base but only caused minor damage. It didn't comment on why the drone wasn't identified and shot down.

הותר לפרסום: הכטב"ם ששוגר לפנות בוקר מעיראק דרך ירדן לאילת פגע בהאנגר של חיל הים במפרץ אילת. כתוצאה מהפגיעה נוצר חור גדול בהאנגר. לא הרחק משם עגנו כלי שייט של חיל הים בהם אחת מספינת הטילים החדשות של זרוע הים מדגם סער 6. באירוע לא היו נפגעים אבל נגרם נזק למבנה.

בחיל האוויר… pic.twitter.com/P1ATQPqWtl

— איתי בלומנטל 🇮🇱 Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) April 1, 2024

According to eyewitness accounts, residents of Eilat heard loud explosions and saw smoke rising from a building. Footage taken during the night also showed ambulances near the local naval base in the resort city on the Red Sea.

"The drone that hit the naval base in Eilat overnight was produced and directed by Iran," IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari said in a press briefing Monday evening.

He added, "We are acting to improve our defense capabilities in the Eilat area."

Shortly after the attack, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iranian proxy militias in Iraq, claimed to have attacked “a vital target in [Israel].”

תיעוד: רגע פגיעת הכטב"ם הלילה בהאנגר חיל הים באילת pic.twitter.com/mWHm3Gd9lq

— איתי בלומנטל 🇮🇱 Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) April 1, 2024

The same group claimed responsibility for another drone attack on Sunday after the IDF announced that an Israel Air Force fighter jet had intercepted “a suspicious aerial target,” approaching Israeli territory from Syria overnight.

The group has made several similar claims over recent months regarding drone strikes, with most of the drones failing to cross into Israel or being intercepted by the IDF.

In one instance, a drone struck near the town of Eliad in the Golan Heights, causing slight damage to buildings, according to the Times of Israel.

Eilat has been targeted by the Yemeni Houthi rebels several times since Oct. 7. Two weeks ago, the IDF announced that a Houthi cruise missile had penetrated Israeli airspace over Eilat for the first time but landed in an open space north of the city.