The armed forces of Yemen announced the "execution of a unique military operation that targeted a significant goal in the occupied Yafa area (Tel Aviv) using a new drone called Yafa, capable of surpassing the enemy's interception systems, and it successfully achieved its objectives." The Houthis stated: "We targeted Tel Aviv with a drone and will continue to target it in solidarity with the Palestinians, and the Tel Aviv area will be a primary target within the range of our weapons."
Military spokesman for the Houthis, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, noted in a statement that they "will focus on targeting the enemy's internal front and reach deeper, assuring that we possess a bank of targets in occupied Palestine."
He added: "The Yemeni armed forces declare the occupied Yafa area (Tel Aviv) an unsafe zone and it will be a primary target for our weapons."
An urgent drone attack in the heart of Tel Aviv is a serious development pic.twitter.com/oV4k0fqTO1— Andalusian History Tour Guide (@Andalusrise) July 19, 2024.
The Israeli army stated that the air force detected the drone targeting Tel Aviv and identified it, but it was not intercepted due to human error. An Israeli military official noted that the drone targeting Tel Aviv was large and had a long range.
After the Houthi group in Yemen spoke about an attack on Tel Aviv, sources from "Al Arabiya/Al Hadath" revealed details of the incident. They confirmed that the Houthis launched five aerial targets toward Tel Aviv, including one ballistic missile and four drones.
They added that one ballistic missile and three drones were shot down, while the fourth reached Tel Aviv. According to reports, the Americans intercepted one ballistic missile and three drones, but the fourth hit its target.
Axios reported an American official stating that the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv was not damaged due to the explosive drone and no American citizens were injured as a result of the explosion.
This follows the announcement by the Houthi group in Yemen regarding a military operation targeting Tel Aviv. The military spokesman for the Houthis on X platform stated that the Yemeni group would reveal details of this operation. He added that the movement targeted Tel Aviv with a drone, stating that they will continue to target Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza war, as he expressed.
After conflicting information arose about the cause of the explosion that occurred near diplomatic premises in central Tel Aviv, Zaki Heller, spokesperson for the "Magen David Adom" ambulance service, which is equivalent to the Red Cross, revealed on Friday morning that the explosion occurred at night.
He added that it resulted in one person killed and several others injured. He continued that police reported seven lightly injured individuals so far, but this mainly involved people who were in shock according to Heller.
In a statement, police spokesman Dean Elsadon said a body injured by shrapnel was found in the building that sustained damage from the explosion. The Israeli army announced that the explosion resulted from the fall of an aerial target, according to preliminary investigative results, without providing further details.
It is noteworthy that since last autumn, the Houthis have targeted cargo ships with missiles and drones, claiming they are linked to Israel in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean. In response, the U.S.-led coalition has been conducting airstrikes over several months targeting Houthi positions in various regions of Yemen due to maritime attacks, which has been met with retaliation from the group intermittently.
