“In support of the Palestinian people,” a spokesman for the Yemeni rebels claimed responsibility for the launch of a drone on Friday, July 19, which reportedly hit Tel Aviv during the night.
One person was killed before dawn on Friday, July 19, by an explosion in central Tel Aviv. The explosion also left two people lightly injured, said Zaki Heller, spokesman for Magen David Adom, Israel’s equivalent of the Red Cross. A previous police report said seven people were lightly injured, but they were mostly people in shock, Heller said.
While Israeli authorities appear to be hesitant to speak of an airstrike for the time being, the Houthis in Yemen have claimed responsibility, “in support of the oppressed Palestinian people and their fighters, and in response to the massacres committed by the Israeli aggression against our brothers from Gaza».
In a video, Yahya Saree, military spokesman for the Houthi movement in Yemen, said that “The Yemeni Armed Forces Air Force (…) carried out a special military operation” targeting Tel Aviv, with “a new drone (…) capable of bypassing enemy interception systems and cannot be detected by radars.” “The operation successfully achieved its objectives,” he added.
Yemeni rebels have been carrying out attacks on merchant ships sailing off the coast of Yemen for months, saying they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.
“Drop of an air target”
The explosion occurred shortly after 3 a.m. local time, according to emergency services. “It may have been an air explosion (…) We were very lucky”said Peretz Amar, Tel Aviv police commander at the scene, adding that “the investigation is ongoing.”
“No (warning) siren sounded”the army said in a statement, adding that “the incident (was) being thoroughly investigated” and that the explosion was “caused by the fall of an aerial target” according to one “preliminary investigation.” “The air force has increased its air patrols in order to protect Israeli airspace,” the text still assures.
“Police forces have arrived on the scene and are inspecting the area for suspicious objects,” the police wrote in a statement. Law enforcement is calling “residents to respect safety instructions, and not to approach or touch debris or fragments that may contain explosives.” Firefighters said they were considering the possibility that a «drone» explosive is the cause of the deflagration.
Source: www.liberation.fr
