Israel sent missile boats to the Red Sea, the army said on Wednesday after Houthi forces in Yemen fired missiles and drones toward Israel’s resort city of Eilat.
“Israeli Navy missile boats arrived in the area of the Red Sea,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement, noting the move was made following a “situational assessment and as part of defensive efforts in the area.”
IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari told a press briefing that overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday, another “aerial threat” was detected in the Red Sea region, south of Eilat, after Houthi forces sent drones and a missile toward the city earlier Tuesday.
Hagari said although the drones and missiles did not pose an immediate threat to civilians because they were intercepted before reaching Israeli airspace, the military maintains “a high level of readiness” and the Navy vessels were sent to boost the aerial defense systems that have been deployed in the area.