Drone operation against Tel Aviv major security breach: Israeli media

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
19 Jul 2024 08:06
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Tel Aviv faced a major security breach last night when a drone infiltrated Israeli airspace and crashed into a building, resulting in one fatality and ten injuries from shrapnel and panic attacks.

Extensive damage as seen following the drone strike that hit a building in Tel Aviv, 'Israel', on July 19, 2024 (Social media)

Tel Aviv faced a significant security breach last night when a drone infiltrated the Israeli occupation's airspace and crashed into a building, resulting in one death and at least ten injuries. The incident has raised serious questions, among settlers and Israeli media, about the effectiveness of "Israel's" security systems and sparked calls for immediate retaliatory action.

Incident overview

The drone approached Tel Aviv from the direction of the sea, eventually crashing into a building on Ben Yehuda Street, near Shalom Aleichem Street, causing a massive explosion.

Reportedly, the blast's echoes were heard as far as the West Bank, causing widespread panic among settlers.

Such an incident is the first of its kind and remains unprecedented in the history of the Israeli occupation.

Security failure and criticism

Israeli media platforms were quick to criticize the operational failure, pointing out the inability of ground, air, and sea radars to detect the drone. This lapse occurred despite the heightened state of alert and the proximity to the US consulate in Tel Aviv.

"With all the technologies they boast about here... they should have detected it when it was still in Lebanon," remarked one commentator who had suspected the operation was carried out by the Lebanese Resistance.

Another expressed frustration, saying, "Someone should wake up (Defense Minister Yoav) Gallant. He seems to be sleeping. The whole country is awake. We just need to ensure that the head of 'Aman' [Military Intelligence] is awake."

Similarly, Israeli media platforms criticized the operational failure.

Public outrage is growing, with settlers expressing frustration over the government's handling of the situation. One commentator noted, "Good morning to the 100% right-wing government. It is a shame the drone did not hit one of your homes, maybe then you would be concerned about the citizens instead of yourselves!"

"We can understand from the Israeli army's response that it is nothing less than a serious operational failure. Not from the explosion or the damage or the casualties – that would be four times worse in a war with Hezbollah – but from the fact that there was no warning and no radar detection by the Israeli army on the ground, in the air, or at sea to detect the enemy target, activate an alarm for the residents, and attempt to prevent hitting an international strategic target – mere meters from the American consulate in Tel Aviv. Complete blindness at a time when all systems are on high alert. Let us remind you: this is not about a school in Eilat or a house in Metula near the border," Israeli media reported.

In turn, Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly expected to cancel his planned trip to the United States following the attack. Sources from his office indicated that the severity of the incident necessitated this decision.

Public and political reactions

In response to the attack, there are calls for decisive action against the Yemeni Armed Forces after its spokesperson, Yahya Saree, announced that he would make an announcement discussing the details of the major military operation that hit its targets earlier in the night.

Experts are urging the security and military establishment to locate and target Yahya Saree, the military spokesman of the Ansar Allah, believed to be behind the operation.

An Israeli military analysis even suggested eliminating Saree would restore some deterrence, highlighting his significant psychological impact compared to other Ansar Allah leaders.

Israeli Channel 12 reported, in turn, that the drone strike in Tel Aviv resulted in an explosion "louder than anything we have experienced before." Israeli media emphasized the complete failure of detection systems, stating, "All ground, air, and sea detection systems failed to detect the drone at the moment it breached and targeted a building in Tel Aviv."

The operation against Tel Aviv exposes vulnerabilities in "Israel's" defense infrastructure.