In the middle of the night, a drone from Yemen hits the heart of the coastal metropolis. Israel threatens retaliation.
A man was killed when a combat drone hit the center of Tel Aviv. At least eight other people were injured when the unmanned aircraft loaded with explosives crashed into a residential building near a branch of the US embassy, the Magen David Adom rescue service reported on the online platform X. According to the army, the long-range drone came from Yemen.
The location of the explosion could hardly have been more central; it is the historic center of the metropolis on the Mediterranean. The sandy beaches are world-famous and a focal point of city life. There are many international hotels on the beach promenade, which have also housed people from northern Israel since the war began, who had to be evacuated because of rocket fire by the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
The adjacent densely built-up streets have many shops, restaurants and street cafes. The US embassy was also located near the impact site until it was relocated to Jerusalem in 2018 under then US President Donald Trump.
Israel’s Defense Minister Joav Galant promised retaliation for the attack. “The Defense Ministry is working to immediately strengthen all defense systems and will deal with anyone who harms the State of Israel or carries out terror against it,” Galant warned in a statement sent by his office.
According to the Israeli army, it was a long-range drone that flew from the sea and hit the house. A video circulated on the Internet showing a drone flying over the beach towards the high-rise buildings in Tel Aviv. Shortly afterwards, a bright light and the sound of an explosion can be heard. The drone was detected by aerial surveillance, but was not shot down due to a human error, reported the newspaper “Times of Israel”.
When asked, a military spokeswoman confirmed that there had been no air raid warning. “That shouldn’t have happened,” the newspaper quoted an army spokesman as saying. Tel Aviv has so far been largely spared from drone attacks.
The Houthi militia in Yemen announced that it had attacked an “important target” in Tel Aviv with a drone. The militia, which is allied with Iran, described this as retaliation for Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip. A spokesman said on television that the attack was carried out with a new drone called “Yafa” (Jaffa). This is capable of evading Israeli defenses. The militia has prepared a list of further targets in Israel.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
