Yemen’s Houthis claim responsibility for drone attack on Tel Aviv

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One person was killed and several others injured in a drone attack on downtown Tel Aviv in the early hours of Friday, which Houthi militias claimed responsibility for.

An Israeli military official said the attack, which took place at about 3 a.m. local time and did not trigger air raid sirens, involved a large long-range drone that was not intercepted by Israel’s air defense systems due to “human error.”

A military spokesman for the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed on X that the group fired a drone at Tel Aviv, the Mediterranean city and economic center of Israel.

The Houthis, who control northern Yemen, have launched sporadic attacks on Israel since war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip broke out in October. If confirmed, the attack would be the first time they have successfully attacked Tel Aviv.

The militants have fired rockets and drones at the southern port of Eilat, but caused little damage as most of the projectiles were destroyed by Israeli defense systems. They have also launched several attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, significantly disrupting the flow of goods on one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes.

The Israeli military official said Israel was “not ruling out any possibility” of where the drone came from. Israel also intercepted a second drone on its eastern border, the official added, but it was not clear whether both were launched by the same group.

Israel increased air patrols following the explosion, the military said.

Israeli police said a man was found dead with shrapnel injuries in his apartment near the site of the explosion in central Tel Aviv, while another 10 people with minor injuries were evacuated for medical treatment.

“This incident involved a relatively large explosive device. It did not explode on the ground or on a building. Fortunately, it exploded in the air. This prevented even greater damage and the loss of life,” said Peretz Amar, district commander of the Tel Aviv police.

Roee Klein of the Israel Emergency Services said most of those affected suffered injuries from shrapnel, while one person suffered injuries from the explosion.

A large number of police officers were dispatched to the site of the explosion and bomb disposal experts were continuing to search the area, police said.

The Houthis claim they are supporting the Palestinians as part of the so-called resistance axis of militant groups supported by Iran. Israel and the US accuse Iran of supplying the Islamist movement with missile and drone technology.

Additional reporting by Neri Zilber in Tiberias