One person killed in possible airstrike in Tel Aviv

A body with shrapnel wounds was found in the building hit by the explosion, a police spokesman said on Thursday.

Firefighters are considering the possibility of a “drone” explosive. One person was killed before dawn on Friday, July 19, by an explosion in central Tel Aviv that appeared to be the result of an airstrike, according to a report from emergency services, as the war between Israel and Hamas enters its 287th day.

The blast also left two people with minor injuries, said Zaki Heller, a spokesman for Magen David Adom, Israel’s equivalent of the Red Cross. A body with shrapnel wounds was found in the building hit by the blast, on the corner of Ben-Yehuda Avenue and Shalom-Aleichem Street, not far from an annex of the U.S. Embassy in Israel, said police spokesman Dean Elsdunne.

The explosion occurred around 3:15 a.m. (2:15 a.m. French time), according to emergency services. “It may have been an air explosion (…) We were very lucky,” said Peretz Amar, Tel Aviv police commander at the scene, adding that “the investigation is ongoing.”

A resident of central Tel Aviv reported being woken up by a loud explosion: “Everything shook”he said. “No (warning) siren sounded,” the army reported in a statement, adding that “the incident (was) being thoroughly investigated” and that the explosion was “caused by the fall of an aerial target” according to one “Preliminary investigation”. “The air force has increased its air patrols to protect Israeli airspace“, the text continues.

“Police forces have arrived on the scene and are inspecting the area for suspicious objects,” the police wrote in a statement.

Law enforcement is calling “residents to respect safety instructions, and not to approach or touch debris or fragments that may contain explosives.” Firefighters said they were considering the possibility that a “drone” explosive is the cause of the deflagration.