In an unprecedented attack on Israel‘s commercial hub, a drone strike hit Tel Aviv early Friday morning, killing one man and injuring at least ten others. This is the first time Yemen’s Houthi rebels have successfully targeted a major Israeli city.
The incident occurred shortly after 3 a.m. when residents were jolted awake by a loud explosion. The drone struck an apartment building near the Mediterranean coast, causing substantial damage and shattering windows in nearby structures. The proximity of the attack to the U.S. Embassy Branch Office, just a block away, is also incredibly alarming.
The Israeli military officials did acknowledge a critical lapse in their defense systems. No warning sirens were activated due to what was described as a “human error” in the detection process. This oversight has prompted an immediate review of Israel’s air defense protocols, which have typically been effective against rocket attacks from Gaza and Lebanon.
The Houthi militia, based in Yemen, claimed responsibility for the attack on Tel Aviv. They stated that this operation utilized a new type of drone designed to evade detection and interception systems. If true, this development may pose a challenge to Israel’s renowned Iron Dome air defense network.
In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are investigating the possibility that the drone was an upgraded Iranian-made Samad-3 model, potentially launched from Yemen.
The Houthis have been targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea for months. They’ve framed their actions as solidarity with Palestinians in the ongoing Gaza conflict. According to their spokesperson Yahya Sare’e, they will continue to:
“Strike these targets in response to the enemy’s massacres and daily crimes against our brothers in the Gaza Strip. Our operations will only cease when the aggression stops and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted.”
Previously, the main aerial threats to central Israel came from Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The ability of a Yemen-based group to penetrate Israeli airspace and strike its most populous city, Tel Aviv, introduces a new challenge for Israeli defense planners.