An Iranian-made drone sent by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck Israel on Friday, leaving one person dead and at least ten wounded in a neighborhood near the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv.
The Israeli military said in a statement on Friday they believe a falling “aerial target” caused the explosion. The military has increased air patrols following the attack “to protect Israeli airspace”.
The attack came just hours after Israeli airstrikes killed two commanders of the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Israeli military claimed the commanders had conducted multiple attacks against Israel.
The military and emergency services are reportedly investigating the attack on Tel Aviv, with the city on high alert.
The aerial strike, the first lethal Houthi attack in Israel, rumbled through the center of the city, causing shrapnel to rain down and spreading shards of glass over a large radius.
The exact target of the attack remains unclear.
The Houthis said they launched a drone capable of evading radar detection systems at Israel, the Times of Israel reported.
According to the Israeli military, its preliminary investigation indicates that the drone was detected by air defences but it was not intercepted due to human error.
The Houthis have consistently fired drones and missiles at Israel and Israeli-affiliated shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to demonstrate their support for Palestinians amid Israel’s war on Hamas.
Almost 39,000 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October last year when Israel launched its war on Gaza. The offensive came after Hamas attacked southern Israel and killed nearly 1,200 people and took some 250 hostage.
