An illustrative image showing the launch of a Houthi Samad/KAS-04 type drone from Yemen.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the suicide drones which struck Tel Aviv early on July 19 was launched by the Houthis (Ansar Allah) from Yemen.
After reaching Israel from Yemen, the drone made its way to Tel Aviv from the direction of the sea, IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, adding that the drone was an Iranian-made Samad-3, which had been modified to have an extended range.
The spokesman noted that dozens of drones have been launched at Israel from Yemen amid the ongoing Israeli war on the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip, with most of them being shot down by United States forces and Israeli fighter jets.
The IDF will hold assessments on the attack in the coming days to understand what it needs to adjust to better defend and “what the required offensive response will be against those who threaten Israel,” he said.
The Houthis have already claimed responsibility for the attack, which killed an Israeli man in his 50s and left eight others wounded.
The group’s military spokesman Brigade General Yahya Sarea said in a statement that the attack was carried out using a new drone dubbed “Jaffa” which has the ability to evade countermeasures.
Jaffa may be a verison of the Samad-3, which was first used by the Houthis in 2018. The drone is said to be a version of an Iranian type condemned by the U.S. military and intelligence as “KAS-04”.
New footage from the attack on Tel Aviv indicates that the suicide drone is indeed similar in design to the Samad/KAS-04 family of drones. The video, filmed by a beach goer, shows the drone flying at a low altitude into Tel Aviv from the direction of the sea, before impacting an apartment building.
Following an assessment with IDF officials on the drone attack, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel will respond.
“The defense establishment is working to immediately strengthen all defense systems, and will settle the score with anyone who harms the State of Israel or directs terror against it,” he said , in remarks provided by his office.
Gallant met with IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, head of the Operations Directorate Major General Oded Basiuk, head of the Intelligence Directorate Major General Aharon Haliva, the Israeli Air Force’s chief of staff Brigadier General Omer Tischler and the head of the Intelligence Directorate’s research division, Brigadier General Ofir Mizrahi Rosen.
Any Israeli military response against Yemen will likely lead to more escalation by the Houthis, who have been launching strikes against Israel and targeting ships linked to the country and its allies in response to the war on Gaza.
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