The Israeli military said it was investigating an apparent drone attack that hit central Tel Aviv in the early hours of Friday but which did not trigger the air raid sirens.
The explosion occurred hours after the Israeli military confirmed it had killed a senior commander of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon.
“An initial inquiry indicates that the explosion in Tel Aviv was caused by the falling of an aerial target, and no sirens were activated. The incident is under thorough review,” the military said in a statement.
It said air patrols had been increased to protect Israeli airspace but said it had not ordered new civil defence measures.
The military spokesman of Yemen’s Houthi militants, which like Hezbollah are backed by Iran, said on the X social media website that the group would reveal details about a military operation that targeted Tel Aviv.
Israeli police said the blast occurred at about 4am local time (2am BST) on Friday morning.
“Numerous police officers and bomb disposal experts have arrived on the scene and are dealing with the situation,” police said.
Residents told local media that the loud boom shattered objects in their house.
Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency service, said a a 37-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman were taken to a local hospital with shrapnel injuries, while four more people were treated for shock at the scene.
The Home Front Command said: “No aerial intrusion into the country’s central area was detected, and therefore no alarm was triggered – the incident is under investigation.”
Police said the body of a man was found in an apartment close to the explosion and said the circumstances were being investigated.
Footage from the site showed broken glass strewn across the city pavements as crowds of onlookers gathered near a building bearing blast marks. The site was sealed off by police tape.
Hezbollah and the Houthis have stepped up attacks against Israel and Western targets, saying they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians after Israel invaded the Gaza Strip following an attack by Hamas militants on southern Israel.
Source Agencies
