Anat Peled and Carrie Keller-Lynn
A drone strike caused an explosion in Tel Aviv, slipping through the country’s vaunted air defenses in the first such attack on Israel’s commercial capital since the war in Gaza began more than nine months ago.
The Israeli military said the blast was caused by a large uncrewed aerial vehicle that could travel long distances. It said it believes the device was launched by the Iran-aligned Houthi militant group from Yemen, roughly 1,250 miles away.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had targeted Tel Aviv with a new drone called “Yaffa” that can evade Israeli air-defense systems.
The drone strike marks an advance in the militant group’s capabilities and threatens to widen what is already a multifront war. The fact the drone got through highlights Israel’s difficulties defending against drones, a relatively cheap means of attack that is frustrating militaries around the world.
“The Israeli security system will come to terms with anyone who tries to harm the state of Israel or send terror against it in a clear and surprising way,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Friday after meeting with security chiefs. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was briefed on the drone attack in real time and held a situation assessment on Friday morning, according to a statement by his office.
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