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The Israeli military said an Iranian-made drone that hit the center of Tel Aviv before dawn Friday, killing one person and injuring at least 10 others, was launched from Yemen.
At a televised news conference, military spokesman Daniel Hagari said an initial investigation conducted at the scene of the attack indicates the device was an Iranian Samad-3 drone that had "apparently undergone an upgrade to extend its range."
He said the military believes the drone came from Yemen, more than 1,600 kilometers (about 994 miles) away.
Yemen-based Houthi rebels had already claimed responsibility for the attack.
Hagari said at roughly the same time as the attack on Tel Aviv, another drone coming from the east was shot down near the Israeli border. He said the military is investigating the connection between the two attacks.
An Israeli military official said the drone that struck Tel Aviv was detected by an Israeli aerial defense system but was not intercepted due to "human error."
"I want to emphasize that the defense is not impenetrable," Hagari told reporters. "We are bolstering our air patrols and the defense of the entire country's airspace. We are investigating the incident, improving, and refining our capabilities to better protect Israeli citizens."
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement the strike had been conducted with a new drone capable of bypassing intercept systems. The Houthis have said their attacks on Israel and other Western targets in the region are being carried out in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
The White House reported that U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on the Tel Aviv drone attack.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday negotiators are very close to reaching an agreement that would produce a cease-fire in Gaza, "get the hostages home, and put us on a track that would build lasting peace and stability" in the region.
Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado, Blinken used an American football analogy, saying negotiators were "inside the 10-yard line" (close) on an agreement, but cautioned that the last 10 yards is often the hardest.
When pressed for details, Blinken would only say that both Hamas and Israel have signed off on the framework of an agreement put forth in June by President Biden. He said there needs to be some critical issues that need to be resolved.
Among them, Blinken said, is what happens next. He said there cannot be an agreement followed by a void, to be filled by Hamas returning - which he said was unacceptable - or by Israel prolonging its occupation, which is also unacceptable, or a vacuum filled by lawlessness.
He said negotiators are working to resolve those issues now. The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, are mediating cease-fire talks between representatives of Hamas and Israel.
Meanwhile, the Reuters news agency says rockets fired from Lebanon hit northern Israel on Friday and intercept missiles were launched toward aerial targets during a cross-border fire exchange.
Video provided by Reuters, taken in northern Israel, shows smoke rising from where the incoming missiles hit, and intercept missiles being launched.
The exchange comes a day after the Israeli military confirmed it had killed a senior commander of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia in southern Lebanon. The slain field commander in Hezbollah's elite Radwan forces was the latest senior member of the group to be killed in months of reciprocal strikes across the border with Israel.
Israel has been exchanging daily missile and artillery fire with Hezbollah along its northern border and in southern Lebanon since the start of the war in Gaza, prompting fears of a wider regional conflict if the situation escalates.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Israeli troops in southern Gaza on Thursday as their tanks continue to drive into the city of Rafah. The visit comes as Netanyahu is set to address the U.S. Congress next week in Washington.
Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir visited a contested holy site in Jerusalem the same day. Netanyahu's office announced the visit after he left southern Gaza. He later released a statement saying, "Only the military pressure helps us advance the hostage deal."
Earlier, the Knesset, Israel's parliament, easily passed a resolution opposing the creation of a Palestinian state.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Thursday that Israeli politicians should not fan the flames in the wake of Ben-Gvir's visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
"We would continue to urge our Israeli counterparts to do nothing that inflames passions or could lead to or encourage violent activity one way or the other," Kirby said.
Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.