A drone struck a residential building in the central Israeli city of Yavne Monday morning, sparking a fire and prompting an investigation into why no warning alert was triggered, the IDF confirmed.
The military later announced that the drone originated from Yemen, though further details about its exact origin and route are under investigation.
Security camera footage of drone strike on Yavne residential building
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Residents reported a loud explosion followed by smoke rising from the building. “I heard a strange buzzing sound and then a loud noise,” one neighbor said. Witnesses claimed they saw a drone in the sky shortly before the explosion.
Footage from the scene captured the moment a drone struck a 16th-floor penthouse in Yavne, causing heavy damage to the balcony. Debris from the drone scattered near the building, though no injuries were reported.
Etti Avivi, the penthouse owner, said her 14-year-old dog, Humi, survived the incident unscathed. “A drone crashing into my balcony? I have a better chance of winning the lottery,” she quipped. “I was outside when I heard the crash and boom. I never imagined it was my home. I was worried about Humi, who was alone in the house.”
Avivi, a mother of four, including two soldiers, added: “I’m so relieved Humi was safe. He must have been in the living room. I heard the explosion like everyone else, but only realized it was my home when calls started coming in. We’re lucky no one was hurt.”
Footage of drone flying over Yavne
Rotem Vaturi, a resident on the building’s ninth floor, said: “I was working from home when I heard a loud buzzing noise. I stepped outside to see what it was and then heard a massive boom. I ran to the safe room, not believing it was a drone.”
Another resident expressed frustration, saying, “So many people saw the drone on its way—why didn’t the military detect and intercept it?”
MDA paramedic Israel Weingarten and emergency medic Roy Ben-Shoshan described the aftermath: “We arrived quickly with a large team and saw thick smoke rising from the top-floor balcony. Entering the apartment, we found significant destruction. We searched the apartment and others in the building, but no casualties were found.”
Firefighters extinguished the blaze caused by the explosion, which damaged two apartments, according to the Fire and Rescue Authority.
Yavne Mayor Roy Gabay told Ynet studio: “An unmanned aircraft struck a home, and we mobilized all emergency forces to the scene. Fortunately, no one was home at the time. Home Front Command personnel are on-site and in close contact with us. If there had been an alert, it would have been issued in advance, but there wasn’t one. There was a lot of panic in the area, and we worked to keep onlookers away.”