The attack occurred overnight Thursday near the U.S. consulate in central Tel Aviv.
A 50-year-old man was found unconscious and suffering from "penetrating injuries" resulting from the attack in a building near the site of the explosion and was pronounced dead shortly afterward, a spokesperson for Israel's Magen David Adom national emergency service said in a statement.
Four others were treated for shrapnel and blast injuries with another four for anxiety symptoms.
Of the injured, two -- a 37-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman -- were at home while two others -- a 25-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man -- were wounded in the street.
"They were all fully conscious and suffered shrapnel injuries to shoulders and limbs, and one who suffered blast injuries," the spokesperson said, stating they were transported to a local hospital in "mild condition."
Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said his city was on heightened alert following the attack.
"The war is still here, and it is hard and painful," he said on X.
"Municipal forces arrived at the scene quickly and dealt with the incident, and we are prepared for further developments, should they occur."
The Israeli Air Force said a preliminary investigation confirmed that the explosion was caused by an "an aerial object" that did not trigger an alert when it entered Israeli airspace.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in nearby Yemen have claimed responsibility for the strike, with spokesman Ameen Hayyan stating it was carried out with a new drone named Yafa that is "capable of bypassing interception systems and radars cannot detect it."
He called the attack "a victory for the oppression of the Palestinian people" and was in response "to the massacres of the Israeli aggression against our brothers in Gaza."
The Israeli Air Force said it was investigating.
"The Air Force will increase the patrols of the planes operating to protect the country's skies," it said.
Israel's far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, called for a strong military response.
"The red line has been crossed again in the north!" he said on X.
"'Proportionality' and 'tolerance' are inappropriate words when it comes to national security."
Israel has been waging war in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza against Hamas since Oct. 7 when the Iran-backed militia launched a surprise and bloody attack on the Middle Eastern country, killing some 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping about 250 more.
Embolden by the conflict, the Houthis have attacked Israel from Yemen and since mid-November shipping vessels that transit the Red Sea region as it tries to enforce a maritime trade blockade, citing it was standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Nearly 39,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the war, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Israel military says 'very big' drone used in Tel Aviv attack
Tel Aviv (AFP) July 19, 2024 -
An Israeli military official said a "very big" drone was used in an attack on Tel Aviv on Friday that killed one person, and "human error" led to the missile not being intercepted.
Yemen's Huthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack that caused an explosion at a building near the US embassy in Tel Aviv.
The military official told a briefing that an attack by the Iran-backed Huthis was "one of the possibilities" being investigated.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said "a very big drone that can travel long distances" was used in the attack which was at 3.12 am (0012 GMT).
He said the drone "crashed into an apartment building" and "it wasn't a tiny drone".
The official said the aim was "terrorism". "Their main goal was to kill civilians in Israel."
The official said the drone was detected but the alarm was not immediately raised because of "human error".
"There was no alert that sounded in Tel Aviv because it wasn't activated.
"There was a human error that caused the interception and defence systems not to be operated," the official said.
"Obviously, one of the possibilities we're looking into is Yemen because of the Huthi announcements. But we're not ruling out anything."
The official said another drone was detected on Israel's eastern border.
"Last night, there was another incident where we thwarted a UAV on our eastern border, another UAV." He gave no details on where it came from.
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