Blast in Tel Aviv kills at least one in possible drone attack, Israeli officials say
The blast, which occurred in a central district home to a number of diplomatic missions including a US Embassy branch office, killed a 50-year-old man and injured at least eight others, Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service said. Four people sustained shrapnel wounds, it added.
The blast occurred about 100 meters (330 feet) from the compound of the US Embassy branch office, according to a CNN analysis of open-source satellite imagery of the scene.
The United States is closely monitoring the situation, a government official told CNN, acknowledging that an explosion happened near the branch office. It does not appear that the building was damaged, another US official said.
The Israel Defense Forces said it is looking into reports that it was an aerial attack, possibly from a drone. Police officers and bomb disposal experts are on the scene, according to Israeli police.
Emergency crews responded to an “an object” that had exploded on Shalom Aleichem Street, the MDA said.
Police urged local residents “not to touch any rocket remnants that may contain explosives.”
“Following the incident of an explosion in the Tel Aviv area, large police forces have arrived at the scene and are working to secure the area and conduct searches for suspicious objects and additional threats,” the Israeli Police spokesperson’s unit said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN’s Kylie Atwood, Haley Britzky, Lauren Izso, Isaac Yee, Hamdi Alkhshali contributed reporting.
The explosion, while not directly affecting the US Embassy building, occurred in a part of the world known for its political instability, specifically the Middle East. The incident has drawn international attention, with the United States expressing concern and urging caution in the area due to the presence of a US Embassy branch office nearby.
