TEL AVIV (Reuters) – The Israeli military said it was investigating an apparent drone strike that struck central Tel Aviv in the early hours of Friday but did not trigger air raid sirens.
The explosion occurred hours after the Israeli military confirmed that it had killed a commander of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon.
“An initial investigation indicates that the explosion in Tel Aviv was caused by the fall of an aerial target and no siren was activated. The incident is under close review,” the military said in a statement.
It stated that air patrols had been increased to protect Israeli airspace, but said it did not order new civil defense measures.
The military spokesman for Yemen’s Houthi militants, who like Hezbollah are backed by Iran, said on social media site X that the group would reveal details about a military operation that targeted Tel Aviv.
Police said a man’s body was found in an apartment near the site of the explosion and said the circumstances were being investigated.
Images from the scene showed broken glass scattered across the city’s sidewalks as crowds of onlookers gathered near an explosion-marked building. The area was cordoned off with police tape.
Hezbollah and the Houthis have stepped up attacks against Israel and Western targets, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians after Israel invaded the Gaza Strip following an attack by Hamas militants in southern Israel.
(Reporting by James Mackenzie; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Christian Schmollinger; Editing by Miral Fahmy)
