Yemen’s Houthis claim responsibility for drone attack on Tel Aviv: Man killed

A drone allegedly launched by the Houthi rebels in Yemen struck near the US embassy in Tel Aviv, killing one person and injuring eight.

The Israeli military said in a statement on Friday that it believes the explosion was caused by a falling “air target.” Following the attack, the military increased its air patrols “to protect Israeli airspace.”

The attack came just hours after Israeli airstrikes killed two commanders of the militant Hezbollah group in Lebanon. The Israeli military claimed the commanders had carried out several attacks against Israel.

According to reports, the military and emergency services are investigating the attack on Tel Aviv, and the city is on high alert.

The exact target of the attack is still unclear.

The Houthis said they had launched a drone that could evade radar detection systems on Israel. Times of Israel reported.

According to the Israeli military, preliminary investigations indicate that the drone was detected by air defenses but could not be intercepted due to human error.

A 50-year-old man was killed in the attack. He was discovered with severe shrapnel injuries in an apartment next to the blast site, said Roee Klein, a paramedic with the national emergency service who WashingtonPost reported.

The Israeli Air Force believes the drone came from the south, possibly from Yemen, but does not rule out other launch locations, such as Iraq or Syria. Times of Israel said.

A military spokesman for the Houthis, who have been attacking the Israeli port city of Eilat with drones for months, announced on social media on Friday morning that the group would reveal details of the “quality operation” against Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv 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.”

Images from the blast site showed broken glass strewn across the sidewalks, with crowds of onlookers gathering near a building clearly visible from the 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 guarantee the security of the citizens of Israel.”

He added: “Whoever loses deterrence in the north and the south also loses it in the heart of Tel Aviv. There is no politics, no plans, only public relations and discussions about themselves. They (the government) must go.”

To demonstrate their support for the Palestinians in Israel’s war against Hamas, the Houthis have repeatedly fired drones and missiles at Israel and Israeli-affiliated ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Nearly 39,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7 last year, when Israel began its war on Gaza. The offensive came after Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage.