A drone attack in central Tel Aviv early Friday that killed one man and injured at least eight others has been claimed by Yemen-backed Houthi militia, according to reports.
Israeli officials said a long-range Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle struck an apartment building about a block away from a branch of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, the BBC reported.
"Our estimation is that it arrived from Yemen to Tel Aviv," Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters at a briefing, identifying the drone as an Iranian Samad-3 model, Reuters reported.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack and warned it would continue to target Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
A residential building in Central Tel Aviv was struck by an Iranian UAV launched from Yemen, leading to at least one civilian casualty and many injured.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 19, 2024
We will continue operating to better protect Israelis against terrorism on all fronts. pic.twitter.com/SqGdcDRVT7
The drone did not set off alarms, and the Israeli military said it had detected the drone but did not try to shoot it down because of "human error," the BBC reported. The Israeli Air Force said the attack "shouldn't have happened," adding that the incident is under investigation and that it will ramp up patrols by fighter jets in Israel's airspace. Yahya Saree, a Houthi spokesman, said Tel Aviv is a target "within the range of our weapons." He said the type of drone used was capable of avoiding interception systems and was not detectable by radar. "The operation has achieved its goals successfully," Saree said, Reuters reported.
Here, Israelis go to work.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 19, 2024
Here, tourists go to the beach or shop.
Here, you can sit for a coffee and enjoy a Friday morning in Tel Aviv.
Here is where today an Iranian UAV from Yemen struck a residential building. pic.twitter.com/1SWQpFQxOA
A man who lives near the site said the explosion came out of nowhere.
"I went to bed and suddenly I heard an explosion like I've never heard before. I thought maybe I hadn't heard the sirens," the man told Israeli media, the Times of Israel reported.
"After seven months serving in the reserves, I thought we had left the country in a better state. The whole building is covered in dust and things fell on us in the apartment," he said.
