Israel: Explosion In Tel Aviv Building Leaves One Dead; Houthi Rebels Claim Responsibility

An explosion at a building in Tel Aviv early Friday left one person dead and two lightly injured, media reports said. Israeli police said a body bearing injuries caused by shrapnel was found in the building.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a drone, saying they fired a “new drone called ‘Yafa’, which is capable of bypassing the enemy’s interception systems,” Huthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement on social media.

The Huthis have launched dozens of drone and missile strikes targeting shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November in a campaign they say is intended to signal solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza war.

In the early hours of Friday, the Israeli military said it was investigating an apparent drone attack that hit central Tel Aviv. The explosion occurred hours after the Israeli military confirmed it had killed a senior commander of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon.

“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. The IDF said air patrols had been increased to protect Israeli airspace but said it had not ordered new civil defence measures.

The military spokesman of Yemen’s Houthi militants, which like Hezbollah are backed by Iran, said on the X social media website that the group would reveal details about a military operation that targeted Tel Aviv.

 Police said the body of a man was found in an apartment close to the explosion and said the circumstances were being investigated. Footage from the site showed broken glass strewn across the city pavements as crowds of onlookers gathered near a building bearing blast marks. The site was sealed off by police tape.

Hezbollah and the Houthis have stepped up attacks against Israel and Western targets, saying they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians after Israel invaded the Gaza Strip following an attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel.

(With agency inputs)