Yevgeny Perder, aged 50 from Tel Aviv, was named the victim of the Houthi drone strike on Tel Aviv. Perder was found in his bed approximately two hours after the incident. He left behind a sister and lived in aparthotel near the scene of the explosion.
Footage uploaded to social media shows the Iranian-made Samad-3 drone flying over the beach and the first line of buildings, including the US Embassy Tel Aviv branch office, and exploding slightly further inland. The Samad-3 is a kamikaze drone which according to the Arab press can fly a distance of 1,500 to 1,700 km. The drone has "advanced technologies," which makes it less detectable.
The IDF announced that the threat was not intercepted due to human error.
IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari noted that the UAV was apparently launched from Yemen. "We are still investigating the incident in depth. From evidence found at the scene, it would appear that the aircraft is an Iranian Samad-3 drone."
Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant held an operational situation assessment earlier in the day. Minister Gallant was briefed on the details of the incident and discussed efforts to reinforce Israel’s air defense systems, as well as the operational and intelligence measures that will be conducted in light of the attack.