JERUSALEM – Loud explosions were heard in downtown Tel Aviv – not far from the U.S. consulate – at 3:12 a.m. local time Friday, as an explosive-laden UAV infiltrated Israeli airspace undetected and impacted an apartment building.
Emergency services immediately swarmed the area, and one man in his fifties was found dead with shrapnel wounds over his body in a separate apartment building close to the explosion’s locus. Israeli media reported up to 10 other people with minor wounds were treated in emergency rooms.
This is the moment an Iranian-Houthi drone hit Tel Aviv from Yemen last night.
Don’t know how I slept through that. pic.twitter.com/0Iu7hg5qsO
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) July 19, 2024
Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack, although an initial Israel Air Force (IAF) investigation has not determined the exact source of the projectile. While it has assessed the UAV was likely launched from the south – which means Yemen could have been its point of origin – it has not ruled out other sites such as Iraq or Syria. The IDF revealed it tracked the UAV’s flight, but human error was responsible for the failure to trigger a warning. Meanwhile, the IAF increased its patrols over the area for fear subsequent attacks could be imminent.
Tel Aviv’s long-serving Mayor Ron Huldai posted on X: “The Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo is on heightened alert in light of the severe UAV incident tonight, in which one person was killed and others were injured. The war is still here, and it is hard and painful. The municipal forces arrived at the spot quickly and dealt with the incident, and we are prepared for developments, if any. I call on the public to obey gov’t instructions.”
עיריית תל אביב-יפו עוברת למצב כוננות מוגבר לאור אירוע הכטב״ם הקשה הלילה, בו נהרג אדם אחד ונוספים נפצעו. המלחמה עדיין כאן, והיא קשה וכואבת. כוחות העירייה הגיעו לנקודה במהרה וטיפלו באירוע, ואנו ערוכים להתפתחויות, אם יהיו. אני קורא לציבור להישמע להנחיות.
— רון חולדאי (@Ron_Huldai) July 19, 2024
The Yemeni Army declared the “occupied Yafa area [Tel Aviv] an unsafe zone,” and that it would be a “primary target within our weapons range.”
BREAKING: Yemeni Army “Houthis” spokesman:
We declare the occupied Yafa area “Tel Aviv” as an unsafe zone and it will be a primary target within our weapon’s range. pic.twitter.com/rlAUupSuKe
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) July 19, 2024
This event is obviously concerning on a number of levels. Although it is unknown if the U.S. consulate in Tel Aviv was the intended target, the drone impacted very close to the building. Is this a sign the Houthis are challenging both Israeli and U.S. power, sensing a certain weakness and fragility, which each of the governments may have projected?
From a deterrence point of view, the fact Israel’s vaunted aerial defense system did not alert Tel Aviv’s residents to the incoming projectile would have been seen and noted by Iran’s other proxies in the region – in particular Hezbollah. There are already deep concerns in the country if the Shi’ite group based in Lebanon were to release thousands of missiles, it would overwhelm Israel’s air defenses and lead to the loss of life of potentially tens of thousands of people. Serious analysts and commentators have frequently warned – and for some time – a war with Hezbollah will be hugely costly in terms of damage to the civilian and military infrastructure – and in human lives.
I’m headed to the site of the explosion in Tel Aviv. Stay tuned for updates pic.twitter.com/oUJTg7X93f
— Noa Tishby (@noatishby) July 19, 2024
On Thursday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) acknowledged the downing of both missiles and UAVs fired from Houth-controlled areas of Yemen, which “presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region.” The IAF said it had downed another drone overnight – outside of Israeli airspace – reportedly fired from an “eastern direction” thought to be Iraq.
July 18 U.S. Central Command Update
In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed two surface-to-air missiles (SAM) and four uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV) on the ground in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
It was determined these weapons… pic.twitter.com/Qq8ZyHJLPK
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 18, 2024
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