Houthi Drone Attack Hits Tel Aviv; Israel Probes if U.S. Consulate Targeted

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Early on Friday morning, a drone loaded with explosives and manufactured in Iran, launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, struck an apartment building in central Tel Aviv near the U.S. consulate. The attack killed an Israeli man and injured at least eight others.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari stated that the drone was a “Samad-3” model made in Iran and modified in Yemen to extend its range. According to the IDF, the drone traveled over 2000 km, crossing through southern Israel and ultimately approaching Tel Aviv from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea.

Saudi news outlet Al Arabiya reported that the Houthis launched a ballistic missile and four drones, with the United States intercepting the missile and three of the drones, while the fourth struck Tel Aviv.

The IDF, however, stated that the American interceptions took place on Thursday morning when Israeli fighter jets were also in the air. It is currently investigating whether the drone that hit Tel Aviv was part of a separate incident.

“The UAV threat is one we are actively confronting. So far, dozens of them have been launched from Yemen and intercepted by the U.S. Task Force and our Air Force. We are investigating why this particular UAV was not identified as a threat,” said Hagari.

Additionally, the IDF intercepted another target approaching Israel from the east overnight. The military acknowledged in a statement, “The drone should have been downed. This was a malfunction. There was an opportunity to shoot it down.” The investigation is ongoing as the IDF works to fully understand the scope of the incident and prevent similar occurrences in the future.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sare’e declared that the Houthis targeted what they refer to as ‘occupied Jaffa,’ known to Israelis as Tel Aviv, using a new, radar-evading drone named ‘Yafa.’ He claimed the drone bypassed defense systems and successfully hit its target, warning that Jaffa would remain a primary target and that the Houthis have a list of vital Israeli sites they plan to continue to strike.

Since the drone struck near the U.S. Consulate in Tel Aviv, there were concerns about the U.S. Embassy being targeted. However, the IDF dismissed this notion but stated it would continue to investigate the possibility.

“There is no intelligence indicating an intention to target the U.S. Embassy. Another assessment will be conducted later this morning,” stated the IDF.

Nevertheless, an Israeli source informed the Saudi al-Hadath news channel that Israel is examining whether the consulate was the intended target of the attack. “We will also look into the involvement of Iran in the drone launch,” added the source.

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