An Israeli man was killed and four were wounded overnight Thursday when what the Israel Defense Forces described as an “aerial target” exploded in a residential neighborhood in central Tel Aviv.
During the search of a building, Magen David Adom emergency medics found the lifeless body of a man in his 50s with “penetrating injuries” and determined the fatality was caused by the blast.
Medics also treated a 25-year-old woman and 37-year-old man for shrapnel wounds at the scene before evacuating them to Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center’s Ichilov Hospital.
Two others were wounded either by shrapnel or the shockwave of the explosion. Four additional people were being treated at the hospital for anxiety.
JNS Correspondent Amelie Botbol at the scene of a drone attack in Tel Aviv, July 19, 2024.
The explosion occurred just after 3 a.m. local time in the area of Ben Yehuda Street, a few blocks away from the U.S. diplomatic mission in the heart of the coastal city.
A U.S. official said the embassy branch office was not damaged and no American citizens were hurt, Axios reported.
Footage from the scene appeared to show an armed drone striking or exploding over a building on the corner of Shalom Aleichem Street.
“An initial inquiry indicates that the explosion in Tel Aviv was caused by the falling of an aerial target,” the IDF stated.
The military subsequently announced that the drone had been detected by air defense systems but was not intercepted due to human error.
Accordingly, no sirens were activated in Tel Aviv ahead of the attack.
The Israel Air Force “increased its air patrols in order to protect Israeli airspace,” added the IDF.
To everyone chanting “bomb Tel Aviv” at Free Palestine protests: This strike is a direct consequence of your dehumanization of Jews and Israelis.
This attack should be condemned, yet people are already celebrating it. It’s despicable.
Does this terror seriously make you happy? pic.twitter.com/gzOOtsDkr4
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) July 19, 2024
A spokesman for Yemen’s Houthi terrorists claimed responsibility for the “high-quality” attack using an advanced UAV dubbed “Jaffa.”
بيان القوات المسلحة اليمنية بشأن تنفيذ عملية عسكرية استهدفت هدفا مهماً في منطقة يافا المحتلة ما تسمى إسرائيليا “تل أبيب” بطائرة مسيرة جديدة تحمل اسم ” يافا” قادرة على تجاوز المنظومات الاعتراضية ولا تستطيع الرادارات اكتشافها. 19_07_2024م pic.twitter.com/MxTc88ud4W
— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) July 19, 2024
“Statement by the Yemeni Armed Forces on conducting a military operation against an important target in the occupied Jaffa region, called “Tel Aviv” by the Israelis, using a new drone called “Jaffa”, which can evade interception systems and cannot be detected by radar. 19.07.2024.”
On Monday, U.S. Central Command said that the Houthis had attacked an Israeli tanker, carrying vegetable oil from Russia to China in the Red Sea, multiple times in 24 hours.
In March, a cruise missile launched by the Yemeni terrorists hit an open area near the southern resort city of Eilat. The incident marked the first time that a Houthi missile penetrated Israeli territory.
In many similar attacks since Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre, IDF air defenses managed to shoot down the projectiles over the Red Sea.
العملية النوعية التي سيتم الإعلان عن تفاصيلها استهدفت “تل أبيب” في فلسطين المحتلة.
— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) July 19, 2024
“The qualitative operation, the details of which have yet to be announced, was directed against Tel Aviv in occupied Palestine”.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Friday morning held a situation assessment with top IDF officials, including Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.
“The defense establishment is working to immediately strengthen all systems and will settle the score with all those who harm the State of Israel or direct terror against it,” said Gallant.
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari later told reporters that the drone was an Iranian-made Samad-3, which was modified to increase its strike range.
New footage shows the Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv early this morning. pic.twitter.com/aEuF8cjIwU
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) July 19, 2024
I do hope that this attack may act as a wake-up call for those Jewish people in Israel, who are so narrow-mindedly and short-sightedly demanding a quick end of the war.