Drone Attack in Tel Aviv: One Dead, Four Injured

Yemeni Armed Forces claims the unprecendented drone strike on Tel Aviv near US embassy office, which resulted in one death – using new drone called ‘Yafa’ that bypasses Israeli systems – and declares the city unsafe from this moment on.

In the early hours of Friday, an apparent drone attack, claimed by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, struck central Tel Aviv.

The attack resulted in the death of one man and caused minor injuries to four others, according to the Israeli military and emergency services.

The explosion occurred without triggering air raid alarms. This happened just hours after the Israeli military confirmed the killing of a senior Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon.

“An initial inquiry indicates that the explosion in Tel Aviv was caused by the falling of an aerial target, and no sirens were activated. The incident is under thorough review,” stated the military.

The attack has heightened fears about the ongoing Gaza war’s fallout, as the Houthis and other Iranian proxies side with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. In response, Israel has increased air patrols to protect its airspace. However, no new civil defense measures have been ordered. Despite this, the mayor of Tel Aviv announced a state of heightened alert for the city, Israel’s economic hub.

A spokesman for Yemen’s Houthi militants, also backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for the attack. He declared that Tel Aviv was targeted with a drone and vowed to continue targeting Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza conflict. Yahya Saree, a spokesperson for the Houthis, emphasized that Tel Aviv is a primary target within their weapons’ range.

Emergency services reported that the body of a 50-year-old man was found in an apartment near the explosion site. Four individuals were hospitalized with minor shrapnel injuries, and another four were treated for shock. All were later released.

Footage from the site showed significant damage to a building near the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv. Broken glass littered the city pavements as crowds of onlookers gathered. Police sealed off the area with tape.

Israeli media reported that fragments from a drone commonly used by Iranian-backed militia groups were recovered nearby.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has involved daily missile and artillery exchanges along Israel’s northern border and in southern Lebanon since the Gaza war began. The Houthis have also increased their attacks against Israel and Western targets, citing solidarity with the Palestinians.

Israel launched an invasion of the Gaza Strip following an attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel in October last year.