A huge explosion rocked a street in central Tel Aviv early Friday, sending Israelis jumping from their beds, shattering windows and sending debris raining down. Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed the attack was carried out using a new type of explosive drone. Israeli authorities said late Friday morning that the blast was the result of a drone fired from Yemen, killing one man in his 50s and wounding at least eight others when shrapnel struck his home.
of Iran-backed HouthisIsrael, which has been fighting Yemen’s internationally recognised government in a decade-long civil war, said in a social media message that the explosion marked a “new phase” in its operations against Israel in response to Israeli attacks. An ongoing war Against Hamas, the Houthis’ ideological ally.
The Houthis said the attack used a “new type of drone called ‘Yafa’ that can circumvent enemy interception systems,” but gave no further details. The drone explosion occurred in close proximity to the US consulate in Tel Aviv, but it is unclear whether it was the target. No American casualties were reported.
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Israeli authorities said the explosion happened at 3:12 a.m. (7:12 p.m. Eastern time Thursday) in an apartment building in Tel Aviv.
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a statement that the drone “struck a building in central Tel Aviv, killing one civilian and slightly injuring eight others.” Hagari acknowledged that “no warning was issued” and said the military was investigating how the drone managed to slip through Israel’s sophisticated air defenses.
Haghari said a preliminary investigation found the drones were “Iranian weapons launched from Yemen and modified to increase their range.”
“Iran is providing aid and weapons AffiliateDozens of drones have been launched from Yemen so far, but most have been intercepted or shot down by CENTCOM. [U.S. military] “This was the work of Israeli defense systems,” Hagari said, adding that another drone was shot down early on Friday approaching from the east outside Israel’s border and that the military was “investigating whether the two events are related.”
Based on verified social media videos, CBS News confirmed that the explosion occurred just over 200 yards from the US Consulate in Tel Aviv. A US official told CBS News that no American casualties were reported.
The Houthis have fired drones and missiles at Israel. Commercial and military vessels Israeli forces have been operating in the Red Sea and surrounding waters throughout the nine-month war in solidarity with Hamas, but all weapons fired at Israel before Friday had been intercepted by Israel or its Western allies.
Israel has not yet launched any direct attacks on the Houthis, while its allies the United States and Britain have Lead Instead, it is focusing its efforts on the war in Gaza and the ongoing fight against Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.
In a statement late Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed to “bring to justice anyone who seeks harm against the State of Israel” and said the country had conducted an assessment to “review the measures necessary to strengthen our defenses in light of last night’s events, as well as the necessary intelligence and operational actions against those responsible for the attack.”
