Photo Credit: Courtesy of MDA
The scene of the UAV explosion in downtown Tel Aviv, July 19, 2024.

A UAV exploded Friday morning around 3:15 AM in downtown Tel Aviv, not far from the American Embassy. A 50-year-old man was found dead in his bed from shrapnel and 10 were slightly wounded, some by shrapnel and some from shock.

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An eyewitness told Israel Hayom: “We were 20 meters from the area, a few friends, sitting. Suddenly we heard an explosion that shook the whole area. We ran straight to the area and saw that everything was on fire and we spotted the wing of a UAV.”

Yonatan Yitzhakov, who was passing through the area with his friends, told Israel Hayom: “We saw planes flying from the direction of Ben Gurion Airport, so I thought it was another one of them because it came from the west, but it approached without lights and with a whistle and a loud noise, and then I realized that this was something unusual. Suddenly I saw the orange fireball of the explosion.”

The UAV succeeded in evading the IDF alert system, and the IDF spokeswoman said: “The issue is under thorough investigation. The Air Force will increase the plane patrols to defend the country’s skies. There is no change in the directives of the Home Front Command.” An update from the IDF indicates there was a human error that misidentified the drone as not dangerous.

A spokesperson for Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack, tweeting: “The specific operation, the details of which will be announced, targeted ‘Tel Aviv’ in occupied Palestine.”

Al Arabiya reported that the Houthis fired five projectiles at Tel Aviv Friday morning, including another three drones and a ballistic missile which were shot down by the Americans.

SPEAKING OF HOUTHIS

Reports from Arab media sources suggest that a vessel carrying weapons and experts bound for Houthi rebels in Yemen has gone missing in the Red Sea. The ship, reportedly transporting missile assembly equipment, has not been seen for four days since it entered the Red Sea from the Horn of Africa.

According to the Emirati newspaper Al-Ain Al-Akhbariya, the disappearance has caused concern among Houthi leadership in Sanaa. The newspaper reported that “Iranian experts and senior Houthi security leaders participated in a special meeting held in Sanaa to review and discuss a report on the large vessel lost in the Red Sea.”

The Houthi leadership is reportedly worried that the ship may have been intercepted by American forces. This incident highlights the ongoing tensions and complexities surrounding the conflict in Yemen, particularly regarding the alleged support of Houthi rebels by external actors.

The disappearance of this vessel, if confirmed, could potentially impact the military capabilities of the Houthi rebels and may have wider implications for the regional power dynamics in the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding waters.

FIRE OVER TEL AVIV

The MDA spokesperson reported that following a search of the area under attack, an unconscious man was found in one of the nearby buildings with penetrating injuries. The MDA team reported that the man, 50, showed no signs of life and was pronounced dead at the scene.

MDA EMTs and Paramedics treated 10 casualties, including 4 with shrapnel and blast injuries, and the rest with anxiety symptoms.

MDA team at the scene of the attack in downtown Tel Aviv, July 19, 2024. / Courtesy of MDA

MDA Paramedic Roee Klein, and EMTs Yoel Rosenthal and Asher Greider, reported: “We came quickly on the scene and witnessed a major disturbance and damage caused by the explosion. We started to search the area and four casualties reached us, two were injured at home – a male, 37, and a female, 47 – and 2 others who were injured in the street, a female, 25, and a male, 30. They were all fully conscious and suffered shrapnel injuries to their shoulders and limbs, and one also suffered blast injuries. We provided initial medical treatment and evacuated them to the hospital in mild condition.

“In further searches, a 50-year-old male was found unconscious with penetrating injuries. We performed a medical assessment, he showed no signs of life, and shortly after that was pronounced deceased.”

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David Israel
David writes news at JewishPress.com.

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