Deadly drone attack hits Tel Aviv apartment, Houthis claim responsibility (WATCH)

An initial investigation by the Israeli Air Force revealed that the unmanned aerial vehicle had been detected, but due to a human error, it was not intercepted by air defenses. As a result, no warning sirens were activated.

In the early hours of Friday (July 19) morning, an explosive-laden drone launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen struck an apartment building in central Tel Aviv, resulting in the death of an Israeli man and injuried several others.

An initial investigation by the Israeli Air Force revealed that the unmanned aerial vehicle had been detected, but due to a human error, it was not intercepted by air defenses. As a result, no warning sirens were activated.

The drone, confirmed to be a large long-range attack drone, impacted the apartment building at 3:12 a.m. after entering Israel from Yemen via the sea, according to IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. The IDF identified the drone as an Iranian-made Samad-3, modified for extended range, which flew at a low altitude for several hours before reaching its target.

The explosion caused by the drone killed Yevgeny Ferder, a man in his 50s, who was found lifeless in the building by Magen David Adom (MDA). Ferder had moved to Israel from Belarus two years ago, amid the Russia-Ukraine war. Eight other individuals were taken to local hospitals: four suffered injuries from shrapnel or shock waves, while the remaining four were treated for acute anxiety.

The impact site was close to several hotels and the United States' Tel Aviv Embassy Branch Office. However, as of Friday morning, the Israeli military reported no intelligence suggesting that the embassy was the intended target of the drone attack.