This screenshot of a viral footage posted on X shows a plume of smoke seen rising from where the Houthi drone struck in Tel Aviv.
New Delhi: A drone attack launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, officially known as Ansar Allah, struck Tel Aviv, early on Friday, resulting in one fatality and at least 10 injuries. This marks the first lethal strike by the group into Israeli territory.
Israeli authorities identified the deceased as Yevgeny Ferder, a 50-year-old Israeli citizen who had immigrated from Belarus in 1999.
The attack occurred in central Tel Aviv, near the US embassy, causing widespread damage as shrapnel and glass fragments scattered across a large area.
The incident has raised concerns about Israel’s air-defence capabilities, as the drone appears to have traversed much of the country undetected. Israel’s multilayered air-defence system has previously intercepted most of the drones and rockets launched by the Houthis since the onset of the Gaza conflict. The majority of these projectiles have failed to reach even Eilat, Israel’s southernmost city.
The Israeli military has initiated an investigation into the incident. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Israeli Defence Forces’ chief spokesman, acknowledged that while the drone was detected, an “error” prevented its interception. Another military official, speaking anonymously due to the ongoing investigation, attributed the failure to “human error”.
Yahya Sare’e, a spokesperson for the Houthis, claimed responsibility for the attack via social media, stating it was in retaliation for the Israel-Hamas war, in which nearly 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed so far and reduced the Gaza Strip to rubble making it nearly unliveable.
The Israeli military has identified the drone as an Iranian-made Samad-3, modified for long-range capabilities, and believes it originated from Yemen. The Houthis claim that the type of drone that hit Tel Aviv is called Yafa and has a range of capabilities.
The strike occurred at approximately 3.10am local time. Verified social media footages show the drone approaching Tel Aviv’s shoreline before an explosion illuminated the night sky.
New footage shows the Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv early this morning. pic.twitter.com/aEuF8cjIwU
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) July 19, 2024
This attack followed shortly after Israel confirmed an airstrike that killed a Hezbollah commander and other militants in southern Lebanon. It may be mentioned that the Houthis continue to strike Israeli and other ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in Gaza. This has caused severe disruption to commercial shipping and forced shipping companies to take a much longer route via the Cape of Good Hope to reach the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) with their cargo.
The situation continues to evolve, with potential implications for regional security and international maritime trade.
