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.
Explosion in the heart of Tel Aviv near US Embassy
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.
Drone detected by Israeli air defense but not intercepted
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 can be seen and the sound of an explosion can be heard. The drone was detected by air 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 alarm. “That should not have happened,” the newspaper quoted an army spokesman as saying. Tel Aviv has so far been largely spared from drone attacks.
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Houthi rebels claim responsibility for attack
The Houthi militia in Yemen announced that it had attacked an “important target” in Tel Aviv with a drone. In solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza war, it will continue to attack Israel. Tel Aviv is the main target “within the range of our weapons,” Houthi spokesman Jahja Sari said on television. A new drone called “Jafa” was used in the attack. It is able to bypass interception systems and is not detected by radar devices. “The operation successfully achieved its goals,” said Sari.
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah also threatened on Wednesday to attack new Israeli targets if the Israeli military continued to attack civilians in Lebanon. Rockets could then be fired at settlements that had not previously been targeted, Nasrallah said.
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.