A loud explosion was heard early Friday morning at the corner of Ben Yehuda Street and Shalom Aleichem Street in Tel Aviv.
The echoes of the explosion were heard in many areas throughout Gush Dan, including in Rishon Lezion, Givat Shmuel, Holon, Ramat Gan and Givatayim.
Residents living near the scene of the explosion reported that objects shattered in their homes as a result of the blast.
Magen David Adom reported that a 50-year-old man was killed in the incident. His body was found in a nearby building. Another 10 were reported injured, some of whom were hit by shrapnel. Several people were treated for anxiety.
Magen David Adom Spokesperson Zaki Heller said, “Following a search of the area, an unconscious male was found in one of the nearby buildings with penetrating injuries. MDA teams reported a 50-year-old male showing no signs of life and pronounced him deceased.
MDA Paramedic Roee Klein, and EMTs Yoel Rosenthal and Asher Greider said, "We were quickly on scene and witnessed a major disturbance and damage caused by the explosion. We started to search the area and 4 casualties reached us, 2 injured at home - a male, 37, and female, 47, and 2 others who were injured in the street, female 25, and male, 30. They were all fully conscious and suffered shrapnel injuries to shoulders and limbs, and one who suffered blast injuries.”
“We provided initial medical treatment and evacuated them to hospital in mild condition. In further searches, a 50-year-old male was found unconscious with penetrating injuries. We performed a medical assessment, he showed no signs of life, and shortly thereafter was pronounced deceased."
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said, "An initial inquiry indicates that the explosion in Tel Aviv was caused by the falling of an aerial target, and no sirens were activated. The incident is under thorough review. Israeli security forces are currently operating at the scene."
"The IAF increased its air patrols in order to protect Israeli airspace. There is no change in the defensive guidelines of the Home Front Command."
An initial Air Force inquiry into the incident revealed that the UAV was not intercepted since it was not identified as a hostile target.
The Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for the firing of the drone and announced that it was a "high-quality military operation".
The spokesman for the Houthis wrote on social media site X, "Soon we will reveal the details of a special operation which targeted Tel Aviv."
Later in the morning, the Houthis' armed wing released a statement celebrating the attack: "Triumphing for the oppression of the Palestinian people and their mujahideen, and in retaliation to the Zionist enemy’s massacres against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip," the group stated.
According to them, the attack was carried out with a new drone called "Yafa" (Jaffa), "which is capable of bypassing the enemy's interception systems and is undetectable by radars. The operation has achieved its goals successfully."
The statement further noted that "The Yemeni Armed Forces (Houthis) declare the occupied Jaffa region an unsafe area and will be a primary target within the range of our weapons. and will focus on targeting the Zionist enemy’s internal front and reaching the depths.
"In announcing this specific operation, the Yemeni Armed Forces confirm that they have a bank of targets in occupied Palestine, including sensitive military and security targets, and will continue, with the help of Allah Almighty, to strike those targets in response to the enemy’s massacres and daily crimes against our people in the Gaza Strip."
The Saudi channel Al-Arabiya reported that the United States intercepted a ballistic missile and three UAVs launched by the Houthis towards Israel. The report stated that the fourth UAV managed to reach Tel Aviv.
The Israel Police spokesperson said, "A short time ago, a report was received at the police headquarters about an explosion in a building in the city of Tel Aviv. Forces in large numbers of the Tel Aviv District Police and police sappers arrived at the scene and are handling the scene."
It also stated, "We call on the residents to obey the directives of the Home Front Command, to avoid arriving at the scene and not to approach or touch the remains of rockets that may contain explosives - and report this without delay to the Israel Police's 100 hotline."
The Home Front Command stated, "No aerial intrusion into central Israel was detected and therefore no siren was triggered - the incident is under investigation."
