Shin Bet Director Ronen Zini warned in closed briefings that a large-scale attack modeled on the October 7 massacre could target the southern port city of Eilat, citing Houthi aircraft landings at a Jordanian airport near the city. A senior security source disputed the intelligence basis, saying no one in the defense establishment knows what intelligence Zini's assessment rests on. The Shin Bet later clarified there is no concrete information on the threat.
Shin Bet Director Ronen Zini has warned in recent closed security briefings that Eilat could be the target of a large-scale terror attack modeled on the October 7 massacre, potentially involving a coordinated ground infiltration assisted by the Houthis. According to a Yedioth Ahronoth report Tuesday, the security establishment has identified multiple landings of a Houthi airline at a Jordanian airport near Eilat. However, a senior security source dismissed Zini's assessment as a theory lacking intelligence grounding. The Shin Bet itself clarified that there is no concrete information on the matter.
This follows a series of reports The Zioneer covered earlier this week: on Monday, Zini was reported to have ordered an intelligence buildup for a possible Eilat attack scenario (June 22, 14:03 Jerusalem). On Tuesday morning (08:44), Army Radio reported that Israeli security forces are tracking Houthi aircraft landings at Aqaba's King Hussein airport near Eilat. The current report adds the internal pushback within the defense establishment, with a senior source characterizing Zini's warning as unsupported.
The Houthi airline activity in Jordan remains a central intelligence concern, though the agency has not corroborated Zini's specific threat model. No new defensive measures have been announced.
10 developments
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- DevelopingIsrael monitors Houthi aircraft landing in Jordan amid Eilat terror threat concerns
- DevelopingSouthern Arava residents warn of 'October 7 in Eilat' as Jordanian social media boils with anti-Israel sentiment
Source and signal
- Open-source intake