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| Yemen’s Houthis claim deadly drone attack on Tel Aviv | Yemen’s Houthis claim deadly drone attack on Tel Aviv |
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| Israeli military steps up air patrols after explosion in central Tel Aviv, killing a man in his 50s | Israeli military steps up air patrols after explosion in central Tel Aviv, killing a man in his 50s |
| Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a drone explosion over central Tel Aviv in the early hours of Friday that struck buildings, leaving one person dead. | Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a drone explosion over central Tel Aviv in the early hours of Friday that struck buildings, leaving one person dead. |
| The Israeli military said it believed the drone was Iranian-made and launched from Yemen. | The Israeli military said it believed the drone was Iranian-made and launched from Yemen. |
| “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,” the military said in a statement. | “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,” the military said in a statement. |
| It said air patrols had been increased to protect Israeli airspace but it had not ordered new civil defence measures. | It said air patrols had been increased to protect Israeli airspace but it had not ordered new civil defence measures. |
| Defence minister Yoav Gallant vowed to “settle the score,” in response to the attack, according to Israeli army radio. His remarks followed a meeting with top military and intelligence officials to assess the incident, which left 10 wounded in addition to one dead. | |
| The Houthis claimed responsibility, saying their “UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] force” attacked “one of the important targets in the occupied Jaffa region, what is now called Israeli Tel Aviv”. | The Houthis claimed responsibility, saying their “UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] force” attacked “one of the important targets in the occupied Jaffa region, what is now called Israeli Tel Aviv”. |
| Earlier this month, Israeli forces said they detected a suspected Houthi drone heading towards the Red Sea port of Eilat, which they shot down using a fighter jet. | Earlier this month, Israeli forces said they detected a suspected Houthi drone heading towards the Red Sea port of Eilat, which they shot down using a fighter jet. |
| The Iran-backed group has also launched waves of maritime attacks targeting shipping through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, causing major disruption and a precipitous drop in business at the port of Eilat. | The Iran-backed group has also launched waves of maritime attacks targeting shipping through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, causing major disruption and a precipitous drop in business at the port of Eilat. |
| The Houthis have said they launched the attacks in response to Israeli attacks on Gaza, which have so far killed more than 38,000 people since the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel. | The Houthis have said they launched the attacks in response to Israeli attacks on Gaza, which have so far killed more than 38,000 people since the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel. |
| The drone attack shook residents of Tel Aviv, undermining a fragile sense of security as Israelis in the north close to the border with Lebanon increasingly fear incursions by drones or rockets sent by Hezbollah, while communities close to the border with Gaza remain on high alert for sporadic rocket fire. | The drone attack shook residents of Tel Aviv, undermining a fragile sense of security as Israelis in the north close to the border with Lebanon increasingly fear incursions by drones or rockets sent by Hezbollah, while communities close to the border with Gaza remain on high alert for sporadic rocket fire. |
| Footage from the site in Tel Aviv showed broken glass strewn across the city pavements as crowds of onlookers gathered near a building bearing blast marks. The site, close to a US embassy annexe in Tel Aviv, was sealed off by police tape. | Footage from the site in Tel Aviv showed broken glass strewn across the city pavements as crowds of onlookers gathered near a building bearing blast marks. The site, close to a US embassy annexe in Tel Aviv, was sealed off by police tape. |
| Emergency services said the explosion took place at about 3.15am local time, striking a building in the centre of the city. | Emergency services said the explosion took place at about 3.15am local time, striking a building in the centre of the city. |
| “The blast apparently occurred at some altitude,” the Tel Aviv police district commander, Peretz Amar, told the Israeli outlet Haaretz from the scene. “We still do not know what it was. Right now we are clearing the area. There was a lucky escape here.” | “The blast apparently occurred at some altitude,” the Tel Aviv police district commander, Peretz Amar, told the Israeli outlet Haaretz from the scene. “We still do not know what it was. Right now we are clearing the area. There was a lucky escape here.” |
| Police found a body bearing injuries caused by shrapnel in the building, which is located on the corner of Ben-Yehuda Avenue and Shalom-Aleichem Street, a spokesperson said. | Police found a body bearing injuries caused by shrapnel in the building, which is located on the corner of Ben-Yehuda Avenue and Shalom-Aleichem Street, a spokesperson said. |
| “The police, along with emergency and rescue forces, discovered a man in his 50s in a nearby building who was found dead in his apartment with shrapnel wounds on his body,” a police statement said, adding that two other people were lightly injured. | “The police, along with emergency and rescue forces, discovered a man in his 50s in a nearby building who was found dead in his apartment with shrapnel wounds on his body,” a police statement said, adding that two other people were lightly injured. |
| Residents of central Tel Aviv said they were woken by a loud explosion, while others described suddenly feeling their buildings shake. | Residents of central Tel Aviv said they were woken by a loud explosion, while others described suddenly feeling their buildings shake. |
| “The whole building shook,” said a resident named Alon, speaking to Haaretz. “My neighbours’ windows shattered so I was sure something had hit the building. It was only when I went outside that I realised that several buildings had been damaged.” | “The whole building shook,” said a resident named Alon, speaking to Haaretz. “My neighbours’ windows shattered so I was sure something had hit the building. It was only when I went outside that I realised that several buildings had been damaged.” |
| A paramedic with the Magen David Adom emergency services described treating injured people in the street and two in their home. “Shortly afterwards we found the fatality on one of the top floors of an adjacent building. He was in bed and there was shrapnel damage everywhere in his apartment. We had no choice but to pronounce him dead,” he said. | A paramedic with the Magen David Adom emergency services described treating injured people in the street and two in their home. “Shortly afterwards we found the fatality on one of the top floors of an adjacent building. He was in bed and there was shrapnel damage everywhere in his apartment. We had no choice but to pronounce him dead,” he said. |
| Police and bomb disposal units were deployed to the scene and conducted searches for suspicious objects and additional threats. Police urged residents to “respect safety instructions and not to approach or touch debris or shrapnel that may contain explosives”. | Police and bomb disposal units were deployed to the scene and conducted searches for suspicious objects and additional threats. Police urged residents to “respect safety instructions and not to approach or touch debris or shrapnel that may contain explosives”. |
| Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report |