A Huthi militia supported by Iran attacks Tel Aviv with a drone - one fatality
According to initial findings, an Iranian drone of the type Samad-3 was used for the attack, Army spokesperson Hagari said further. This drone was equipped to increase its range. The Huthis had previously declared that their "drone forces" had targeted Tel Aviv.
During the nighttime attack in the center of Tel Aviv, according to rescue services reports, a man was killed and four others were lightly injured. Initially, the cause was unclear, with rescue services reporting an explosion around 03.12 AM (02.12 AM CET).
According to a police spokesperson, a building near the central Ben-Jehuda Street was hit - near a secondary building of the US Embassy, as an AFP reporter reported. At the impact site, a 50-year-old man was found dead in his apartment, having been hit by shrapnel, the Police added. Neighbor Kenneth Davis reported being awakened from sleep by a strong vibration and a loud explosion. "Everything flew out of the room," he said.
There were no prior warnings from security forces. According to the Army, no warning sirens were activated. The Air Force increased its air patrols to protect Israeli airspace.
According to an Israeli Army representative, a "large drone capable of covering long distances" was used in the attack. Although the drone was detected by the Air Force, a "human error" led to "the interception and defense systems not being activated."
The Huthis, who control large parts of the coast of the civil war-torn country of Yemen on the Red Sea, had previously claimed attacks on Israeli cities such as Eilat, Ashdod, and Haifa. Since November, the Huthis have also been attacking international cargo ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden more frequently. With their attacks, the militia aims to support the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas, which attacked Israel on October 7 and thus triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.
According to Israeli reports, 1,195 people were killed and 251 taken hostage in the Hamas attack. In response to the attack, Israel has been conducting massive military operations in the Gaza Strip since then. According to the health ministry controlled by Hamas, which cannot be independently verified, 38,800 people have been killed so far. The war has been going on for more than nine months.
- The Huthi Militia, allegedly backed by Iran, had previously declared that their drone forces would target Tel Aviv.
- The man who was killed during the nighttime attack in Tel Aviv was found in his apartment near the central Ben-Jehuda Street, near a secondary building of the US Embassy.
- The Police in Tel Aviv reported that the victim was hit by shrapnel from the drone attack.
- The Huthi Militia had also claimed attacks on other Israeli cities such as Eilat, Ashdod, and Haifa in the past.
- The Air Force increased its air patrols from Yemen to protect Israeli airspace after the drone attack on Tel Aviv.
- The Israeli Army spokesperson Aviv said that a "large drone capable of covering long distances" was used in the attack, leading to a human error that prevented the activation of defense systems.
- Daniel Hagari, a police spokesperson, confirmed that a building near the central Ben-Jehuda Street was hit in the drone attack from Yemen, causing the death of a man and injuring four others.
