News - Middle East:  In a stark public admission reflecting growing internal panic, the mayor of the Israeli-occupied city of Eilat, Eli Lankri, has stated that the city is facing an "existential threat—both economically and security-wise"—due to continuous military operations from Yemen.

His comments, widely reported across Hebrew media outlets on Sunday evening, reveal a profound sense of vulnerability within the highest levels of local government and mark a significant public rupture in the official narrative of security control.

Mayor Lankri called the fact that a drone could fall "without any prior warning" deeply "disturbing," directly attributing it to a failure of the Zionist security apparatus to counter the Yemeni threat.

Referring to the Economic Catastrophe: He declared the city's vital seaport "disabled," with its activity "almost nonexistent." He emphasized that the enemy entity "cannot bear the closure of a maritime passage," a clear reference to the effective naval blockade enforced by Yemeni forces on the occupation's ports, which he framed as a strategic threat that can no longer be ignored.

Lankri expressed shock at the persistence of Yemeni operations, stating, "We knew the Yemenis would not give up on Eilat and would not forget... and that is what is happening despite the aggression on Yemen." This admission explicitly confirms that the Zionist policy of military deterrence has failed and that attacks on Yemen have not weakened its capabilities but have instead strengthened its resolve.

The mayor revealed he had contacted the Zionist Home Front Command leaders for answers and is "awaiting responses," demanding the government act immediately to "remove this threat from the country for good." This highlights the growing frustration among settlers who feel that Prime Minister Netanyahu's criminal government is incapable of protecting their security or economic interests.

This public outcry from a senior Israeli official underscores the severe and compounding impact of Yemen's sustained military campaign. Yemen's naval blockade and precision drone strikes are successfully crippling a key economic hub, demonstrating a strategic depth to their operations that Israeli defenses cannot neutralize.

The statements reveal intense internal pressure on the Netanyahu government from its own population, who are experiencing the direct consequences of the ongoing war on Gaza and the confrontation with Yemen.

The mayor's declaration signals a critical moment where the economic and psychological costs of the conflict are boiling over into the Israeli public sphere, challenging the leadership's ability to maintain a facade of control.

Yemen has been enforcing effective aerial and maritime deterrence since October 2023, with ongoing operations aimed at supporting Gaza and countering Zionist aggression. The “airport-for-airport” strategy represents a qualitative shift, extending Yemeni response capabilities from traditional military targets to vital civilian infrastructure deep within enemy territory.

These developments expand Yemen’s strategic reach, challenge the Zionist entity’s sense of security far from frontline zones, and reinforce Yemen’s military and ideological commitment to defending Palestinian rights. The new deterrence formula underscores the failure of Israeli aggression to weaken Yemen’s resolve, while demonstrating the country’s growing operational capacity and willingness to impose strategic costs on the enemy.

Observers emphasize that this shift places Israel’s occupied airports—the backbone of its economic and military logistics—directly in Yemeni crosshairs, compelling the Zionist entity to reassess its risk calculations and pause its ongoing siege and attacks on Gaza.