Drone Explosion Near Tel Aviv US Consulate Injures Several

At least seven people sustained shrapnel injuries following an explosion in Israel

A blast early Friday morning near the US consulate in Tel Aviv left at least seven people injured. A man in his 30s and a woman in her 20s were hospitalized for shrapnel wounds, while others suffered minor injuries, according to the Times of Israel.

Witnesses, dashcam footage, and security camera videos circulating online reported a loud whirring noise preceding the explosion. Israeli police are currently examining the shrapnel and debris to determine if a drone caused the blast, local media reported.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are investigating the explosion, which they suspect was caused by “an aerial target,” their term for drones, the Times of Israel wrote. They added that no air sirens were sounded before the explosion.

Police reported the explosion occurred in the air and its sound reached nearby towns. “The blast apparently occurred at some altitude,” Haaretz quoted the police. “We still do not know what it was. Right now, we are clearing the area. There was a lucky escape here.” 

Police added that eyewitnesses saw a “red lump” in the sky, which could explain why the explosion didn’t occur in a building or on the ground.

The incident took place less than a few hundred meters from the former US embassy building in Tel Aviv on Shalom Aleichem street, local media reported. However, authorities have not officially commented on the cause of the blast, while the IDF and Tel Aviv police continue to investigate the incident.

Several photos circulating on X (formerly Twitter) showed alleged fragments of a drone at the scene. One showed a piece of hull, made of a substance that looked like fiberglass, with metal parts attached. Another showed a wing lying on the sidewalk, longer than the height of a person, next to a group of people.