The Houthis, a Yemeni rebel group backed by Iran, have claimed responsibility for a drone strike on Tel Aviv, Israel, in the early hours of Friday. The attack resulted in the death of one person and injuries to 10 others. This incident marks the first attack on Tel Aviv to cause casualties since a rocket strike launched from Gaza on May 26, which resulted in one person being wounded.
The Israeli army has stated that a falling “aerial target” caused a massive blast. In a statement, the Houthis said their “UAV force” attacked “one of the important targets in the occupied Jaffa region, what is now called Israeli Tel Aviv.”
Throughout the nine-month-long Israel-Gaza conflict, the Houthis have repeatedly launched drones and missiles toward Israel in a show of solidarity with Hamas. Additionally, the rebels have carried out numerous attacks against Red Sea shipping, citing their support for Palestinians during the Gaza war.
According to emergency services, the explosion occurred around 3:15 am (0015 GMT) in a building in the center of Tel Aviv. Shortly after the incident, air patrols were intensified. The Israeli army, after an initial investigation, concluded that the explosion was “caused by the falling of an aerial target.”
Police discovered a body with shrapnel injuries in the building located at the corner of Ben-Yehuda Avenue and Shalom-Aleichem Street, not far from an annex of the US Embassy in Israel. A police statement indicated that a man in his 50s was found dead in his apartment in a nearby building, also with shrapnel wounds. A resident of central Tel Aviv reported being awakened by a loud explosion, describing the experience as a shaking sensation.
The public was advised to “respect safety instructions and not to approach or touch debris or shrapnel that may contain explosives.”
