JERUSALEM, Dec 9, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - A drone, likely launched from Yemen, exploded on the top floor of a residential building in the central Israeli city of Yavne on Monday, causing no injuries, the Israeli army and emergency services said.

"Following the initial report, a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) that likely originated in Yemen impacted in the area of Yavne," the army said. 

A spokesperson for Israeli emergency service MDA said reports were received of "an explosion on the 15th floor balcony" of the building in Yavne, and that after a search, no injuries were reported. 

Huthi rebels in Yemen, supported by Iran, have launched several attacks against Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has been at war with militant group Hamas for over a year. 

In July, a Huthi drone attack in Tel Aviv killed an Israeli civilian, prompting retaliatory strikes on the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.

The Huthis, who control large parts of Yemen, also regularly target ships linked to Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, despite strikes by the US and British militaries aimed at securing the vital trade route.

The Gaza war was triggered by Hamas's unprecedented large-scale attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official data.

During the attack, militants also kidnapped 251 hostages, 96 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 who have been declared dead by the army.

The Israeli retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed at least 44,708 people, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run health ministry that is considered reliable by the UN.