Around 4 a.m. in Eretz Yisroel, there was a large explosion in Tel Aviv by an attack drone that came up from the beach. One man was killed, and ten were injured. Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen took credit for the attack.
Around 4 a.m., there was a large explosion in Tel Aviv. It is not yet confirmed, but largely suspected to have been an attack drone.
Several people were injured by shrapnel, including two who were taken to the hospital in stable condition. Windows were shattered in the 10 meter radius.
No sirens were triggered, and the IDF says that no projectiles were detected before the explosion.
The explosion took place on Ben Yehuda street at the corner of Shalom Aleichem street, less than 100 meters away from the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv.
In CCTV footage of the explosion, what sounds like a drone can be heard shortly before the explosion. Amongst the debris at the site of the crash are what appear to be drone wings, very similar to Hezbollah’s drones seen in Northern Israel. The dominant theory at the moment (not confirmed), is that the drone was flown in over the Mediterranean Sea in the pitch dark, and entered Israel undetected.
No terror group has taken credit yet. The top possibilities are Hezbollah—who recently threatened to expand activities, or the Iranian-backed militia in Iraq, who have attempted but failed at attacking Tel Aviv with drones several times already. If it is a Hezbollah attack, then this could be the start of a major escalation.
The IDF is currently investigating.
Updates:
The IDF confirmed that the explosion was caused by a drone, which evaded air defense systems. There is now increased air surveillance in the area.
A man was found dead in his apartment nearby the site of the explosion. It appears that he was killed by shrapnel which entered through his roof.
The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen took credit for the attack. This comes as a surprise, because it was thought that they do not have drones with the range capabilities to reach Tel Aviv. This means we have not (yet) jumped into war with Hezbollah, however, the IDF will now need to increase defenses on the Yemen front. The U.S. has been working to prevent the IDF from retaliating against Yemen attacks, by operating their own air offensive and air defense systems in the area. The US Army reports having intercepted four Houthi drones headed towards Israel today.
Analysis: The incident is tragic, and very concerning, primarily in that the drone evaded air defense systems. This signals to Hezbollah that they can do the same—and Hezbollah has far more drones of the same kind, supplied by the Iranian regime. However, it is unlikely that this will directly lead to a major escalation. Israel is not interested in opening another war front, and the U.S. is likely to do what they can to maintain that.
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