Magen David Adom said one person was killed and eight others were injured in a drone strike on central Tel Aviv overnight Thursday. Photo courtesy of Magen David Adom/Facebook
A drone fired by Houthi militants struck a building in Tel Aviv, killing at least one person and injuring eight others, officials said.
The attack occurred overnight Thursday near the U.S. consulate in central Tel Aviv. Advertisement
A 50-year-old man was found unconscious and suffering from “penetrating injuries” resulting from the attack in a building near the site of the explosion and was pronounced dead shortly afterward, a spokesperson for Israel’s Magen David Adom national emergency service said in a statement.
Four others were treated for shrapnel and blast injuries with another four for anxiety symptoms.
Of the injured, two — a 37-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman — were at home while two others — a 25-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man — were wounded in the street.
“They were all fully conscious and suffered shrapnel injuries to shoulders and limbs, and one who suffered blast injuries,” the spokesperson said, stating they were transported to a local hospital in “mild condition.”
Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said his city was on heightened alert following the attack.
“The war is still here, and it is hard and painful,” he said on X. Advertisement
“Municipal forces arrived at the scene quickly and dealt with the incident, and we are prepared for further developments, should they occur.”
The Israeli Air Force said a preliminary investigation confirmed that the explosion was caused by an “an aerial object” that did not trigger an alert when it entered Israeli airspace.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in nearby Yemen have claimed responsibility for the strike, with spokesman Ameen Hayyan stating it was carried out with a new drone named Yafa that is “capable of bypassing interception systems and radars cannot detect it.”
He called the attack “a victory for the oppression of the Palestinian people” and was in response “to the massacres of the Israeli aggression against our brothers in Gaza.”
The Israeli Air Force said it was investigating.
“The Air Force will increase the patrols of the planes operating to protect the country’s skies,” it said.
Israel’s far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, called for a strong military response.
“The red line has been crossed again in the north!” he said on X.
“‘Proportionality’ and ‘tolerance’ are inappropriate words when it comes to national security.”
Israel has been waging war in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza against Hamas since Oct. 7 when the Iran-backed militia launched a surprise and bloody attack on the Middle Eastern country, killing some 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping about 250 more. Advertisement
Embolden by the conflict, the Houthis have attacked Israel from Yemen and since mid-November shipping vessels that transit the Red Sea region as it tries to enforce a maritime trade blockade, citing it was standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Nearly 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the war, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
