Human error - Drone penetrates Israeli air defense
Early in the morning, a powerful explosion was heard in the inner city of Tel Aviv, Israel. The Yemeni Huthi Militia claims responsibility.
In the center of Tel Aviv, there was presumably a drone crash at early morning. The military announced they were investigating a potential attack. The explosion occurred only a few hours after the Israeli military confirmed the killing of a leading commander of the Lebanese Hezbollah Militia. According to their own statements, the Yemeni Huthi Militia claims responsibility for the attack and will continue to attack targets in Israel because they are sympathetic to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
"A preliminary investigation suggests that the explosion in Tel Aviv was caused by the fall of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)", the Israeli military stated. Patrol flights have been intensified to protect Israeli airspace. New civil defense measures have not been ordered.
The Tel Aviv Police reported that a man's body was found in an apartment near the explosion site. The circumstances are currently being investigated. Eight injured persons were taken to the hospital.
"Human error"
According to the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz," citing Saudi media, the Huthi Militia fired a ballistic missile and four drones at Israel in the night. The USA intercepted the missile and three drones. The fourth drone exploded in Tel Aviv.
According to the Israeli military, the fourth drone was not intercepted by the air defense due to human error. Preliminary investigations suggest this. "We are talking about a large unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can cover long distances," a military spokesperson said. The origin is still being determined.
A spokesperson for the Militia on the X platform announced they would release details about a "military operation" targeting Tel Aviv. The Huthi, like the Lebanese Hezbollah, are part of the Iran-led "Axis of Resistance" and are allied with the radical Palestinian organization Hamas. The Huthi frequently attack ships in the Red Sea that they associate with Israel and have repeatedly fired drones and rockets onto Israeli territory. They are usually intercepted by the Israeli military.
Hisbollah threatens new attacks
The leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, threatened a new attack on Israeli targets on Wednesday if the Israeli military continued to attack civilians in Lebanon. He warned that rockets could be fired at settlements that had previously not been targeted. The Hezbollah does not recognize Israel as a state and considers all Israeli population centers as settlements.
Israel has been at war with the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip for over nine months and engages in regular fighting with the Shiite Hezbollah Militia along the Lebanese border. After the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7 last year, the Huthis also declared themselves a war party and fired rockets at Israel.
- Despite the Israeli military's investigation into a potential attack in Tel Aviv, there are claims that a Yemeni Huthi Militia drone may have been involved in the explosion.
- The Huthi Militia, known for their sympathies towards the Palestinians in Gaza Strip, has claimed responsibility for the attack in Tel Aviv, following the death of a leading commander from their ally, Hezbollah in Israel.
- After the Israeli military announced human error in not intercepting a Huthi drone, the militia confirmed plans to reveal details of a "military operation" targeting Tel Aviv, similar to their past actions against Israeli territory.
