IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Friday that an attack in the Egyptian Red Sea town of Taba in the early hours of the morning came from “the Red Sea region,” apparently referring to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels Yemen.
Taba lies on the border with Israel and is about 10 kilometers (six miles) from the southern city of Eilat.
Al Arabiya broadcaster quoted an Egyptian military spokesman as saying the attack was caused by a drone.
“In the last few hours, an aerial threat has been detected in the Red Sea area. Fighter jets have been alerted to the threat and the issue is currently being investigated,” Hagari said.
“Our understanding is that the impact in Egypt is due to this threat. Israel will work with Egypt and the US and strengthen defenses against threats from the Red Sea region,” he added.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories
By registering you agree to the terms and conditions
According to Egyptian media, six people were injured in the attack in Taba.
Watch: A rocket attack hits a medical facility in the Egyptian Red Sea city #Taba vicinity #Israeli According to local reports, at least six people were injured.
Read more: https://t.co/kiGxsnC6pf pic.twitter.com/5RAtXWvfr3
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) October 27, 2023
Al-Qahera News, which has close ties to Egyptian intelligence, said the attack hit a medical facility where ambulances were parked and a hospital administrative building.
All six people suffered minor injuries and were treated at a hospital, Egypt’s health ministry said.
An unnamed security source cited by al-Qahera said Egypt reserved the right to respond to the attack.
Once the origin of the launch is established, all options will be available, he added.
Meanwhile, two Egyptian security sources told Portal that a projectile also struck the Red Sea city of Nuweiba.
It was unclear whether the impact was the result of an interception. According to the sources, authorities are still gathering more information about the incident.
Houthi soldiers stand on a missile carrier during a military parade on September 21, 2023. (Mohammed Huwais / AFP)
The attacks in Egypt came days after Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen attempted to fire rockets at Israel across the Red Sea.
Last week, the Pentagon announced that a U.S. Navy warship intercepted three northbound missiles fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and that they may have been aimed at Israel.
U.S. officials said the USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, was in the Red Sea and intercepted the three missiles.
Unnamed Israeli officials told Hebrew-language media that the rockets were fired toward Israel.
In addition to the Houthi threat, National Unity Chairman and War Cabinet member Benny Gantz warned earlier this year that Iran’s maritime activities in the Red Sea were the “most significant” in a decade.
“Iran is expanding its maritime activities. Over the past year, Iran has seized international tankers and attacked ships. “Today we can confirm that Iran is systematically deploying itself in the Red Sea and warships are patrolling the southern region,” Gantz said at the Economist Government Roundtable conference in Greece.
Benny Gantz, leader of National Unity, speaks at an event with party supporters in the Drom HaSharon regional council, September 5, 2023. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
Hagari said last week that the Israeli military was ready to protect itself from possible attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis.
“This shows the U.S. defense capabilities and its ability to gain insight into the region,” Hagari said shortly after the attack, citing the IDF’s close relationship with U.S. Central Command.
“Israel has some of the best air defense assets in the world and is prepared for threats like this,” he added.
Houthi rebels have expressed support for the Palestinians and threatened Israel in the Israel-Hamas war. The Iran-backed group’s slogan is “Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse the Jews, Victory to Islam.”
Iran has repeatedly warned that Israel could face greater threats if it does not halt its war against Gaza terrorists, which was launched after the Hamas terror attack in southern Israel on October 7 that killed 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians became.
Israel has repeatedly accused Iran of being a key force behind the coordinated Hamas attack on Israel, in which it managed to disable the high-tech Gaza border fence while its terrorists streamed across the border in a devastating attack Surrounding communities, including Israel, took at least 230 people hostage.
Israel says its war against Hamas is aimed at destroying the Iran-backed terror group’s infrastructure and has vowed to dismantle the organization after the Oct. 7 massacres while minimizing damage to civilians in the Gaza Strip hold.
Amid fears that the war could expand to involve Iran and its proxies, including the Lebanon-based terror group Hezbollah, Tehran has repeatedly threatened Israel that the region could spiral “out of control” if the war in Gaza continues .
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Sunday that he had warned “the United States and its proxies.” [Israel]… that if they do not immediately stop the crime against humanity and genocide in Gaza, anything is possible at any time and the region will spiral out of control.”
Agencies contributed to this report.
You are a dedicated reader
We are very pleased that you have read X Times of Israel article last month.
That’s why we launched The Times of Israel 11 years ago – to provide discerning readers like you with essential coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we have not set up a paywall. But because the journalism we do is expensive, we invite readers who care about The Times of Israel to support our work by subscribing The Times of the Israel Community.
For just $6 a month you can support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD FREEas well as access exclusive content Available only to members of the Times of Israel community.
Thank you very much,
David Horovitz, founding editor of The Times of Israel
Join our community. Join our community. Are you already a member? Log in to stop seeing this