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In a statement, the Houthis said said their ‘UAV force’ attacked ‘one of the important targets in the occupied Jaffa region, what is now called Israeli Tel Aviv’ read more
 "Yemen's Houthis claim responsibility for Tel Aviv drone attack that killed 1")
A woman stands near the window of an apartment as Israeli policemen search the scene where an explosion took place in Tel Aviv on July 19, 2024. Source: AFP.
The Houthis of Yemen have claimed responsibility for a drone strike on Israel’s Tel Aviv in the early hours of Friday in which at least one person has died and 10 others have been injured.
The Israeli army has said that a falling “aerial target” caused a massive blast.
In a statement, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said their “UAV force” attacked “one of the important targets in the occupied Jaffa region, what is now called Israeli Tel Aviv.”
If an attack is confirmed, it would be the first to cause casualties in Tel Aviv since a rocket strike launched from Gaza on May 26 in which one person was wounded.
Houthis have repeatedly launched drones and missiles toward Israel throughout the nine-month-long Israel war, in sympathy with Hamas. The rebels have also carried out dozens of attacks against Red Sea shipping in what they say is an act of solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza war.
According to Emergency services, the explosion occurred around 3:15 am (0015 GMT) in a building in the centre of the city, soon after which air patrols were increased.
The Israeli army said an initial inquiry showed that the explosion was “caused by the falling of an aerial target”.
“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, not far from an annex of the US Embassy in Israel,” spokesperson Dean Elsdunne was quoted as saying by AFP.
“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.
The news agency also quoted a resident of central Tel Aviv as saying that he had been woken by a loud explosion. “Everything shook,” he added.
Residents were urged to “respect safety instructions and not to approach or touch debris or shrapnel that may contain explosives”, it said.
With inputs from agencies
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English (US) ·