Explosion in Tel Aviv kills 1, injures 8; Yemen’s Houthis claim deadly drone attack

Tel Aviv/Cairo, July 19, 2024

One person was killed and eight others injured after an explosion near the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv early on Friday, according to Israeli rescue service Magen David.

The injured have been taken to hospital, the rescue service posted on social media platform X.

Surrounding buildings were reportedly damaged.

The cause of the explosion was initially unclear.

Unconfirmed media reports, however, suggested that the blast might have been the result of a drone attack.

The Israeli military said that it is investigating the incident.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Friday claimed a drone attack on an “important target” in Tel Aviv as a form of retaliation for Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip.

The Houthi military spokesman, Yehya Saree, said that the operation had been carried out with a new drone named Yafa that is capable of bypassing Israeli interception and radar systems.

He claimed in a televised statement that his militia has a “bank of targets” in Israel, and that Tel Aviv is in the cross-hairs.

Houthi militants have also been attacking ships in the Red Sea for months.

The Houthi militant claimed they want to end the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, which followed the unprecedented massacre by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Israel last October.