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A drone allegedly launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels hit near a US embassy office in Tel Aviv, killing one person and injuring eight.
The Israeli military said in a statement on Friday they believe a falling “aerial target” caused the explosion. The military has increased air patrols following the attack “to protect Israeli airspace”.
The attack came just hours after Israeli airstrikes killed two commanders of the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Israeli military claimed the commanders had conducted multiple attacks against Israel.
The military and emergency services are reportedly investigating the attack on Tel Aviv, with the city on high alert.
The exact target of the attack remains unclear.
The Houthis said they launched a drone capable of evading radar detection systems at Israel, the Times of Israel reported.
According to the Israeli military, its preliminary investigation indicates that the drone was detected by air defences but it was not intercepted due to human error.
A 50-year-old man was killed in the attack. He was discovered with severe shrapnel wounds in an apartment next to the blast, according to Roee Klein, a paramedic with the national emergency service, the Washington Post reported.
Israel’s air force believe the drone came from the southern direction, possibly Yemen, although it is not ruling out other launch sites, such as Iraq or Syria, the Times of Israel said.
A military spokesman for the Houthis, who have been targeting the Israeli port city of Eilat with drones for months, announced on social media early on Friday that the group will disclose details of the “quality operation” targeting Tel Aviv.
Tel Aviv’s mayor, Ron Huldai, wrote on X that the city was on “heightened alert” in light of the drone attack. He said: “The war is still here, and it is hard and painful.”
Footage from the explosion site showed shattered glass scattered across the pavements, with crowds of onlookers congregating near a building marked by blast damage.
The area was cordoned off with police tape.
Israeli opposition politician Yair Lapid said the attack was “further proof that this government does not know and cannot give security to the citizens of Israel”.
He added: “Those who lose deterrence in the north and south also lose it in the heart of Tel Aviv. There are no policies, no plans, all public relations and discussions about themselves. They [the government] have to go.”
The Houthis have consistently fired drones and missiles at Israel and Israeli-affiliated shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to demonstrate their support for Palestinians amid Israel’s war on Hamas.
Almost 39,000 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October last year when Israel launched its war on Gaza. The offensive came after Hamas attacked southern Israel and killed nearly 1,200 people and took some 250 hostage.
