Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called a drone strike on his northern Israel home an assassination attempt by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah, saying it was a “grave mistake” and vowing that the perpetrators would pay a “heavy price.”
The drone targeted Netanyahu’s residence in the coastal town of Caesarea on Oct. 19, while the premier and his wife were away, according to his spokesman. The attack, for which no group claimed immediate responsibility, resulted in no casualties.
Earlier, the Israeli military reported that a drone had been launched from Lebanon and struck a building, though the exact target remained unclear. The military added that two additional drones that crossed into Israeli airspace were successfully intercepted.
In response to the attack, Netanyahu issued a warning, pointing to Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group, as the perpetrator.
“The attempt by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake,” the Israeli leader said. “This will not deter me or the State of Israel from continuing our just war against our enemies in order to secure our future.”
Netanyahu added that the attack would not go unanswered and that Israel remains determined to achieve all of its objectives in its war against Hamas.
“I say to Iran and its proxies in its axis of evil: Anyone who tries to harm Israel’s citizens will pay a heavy price,” he said. “We will continue to eliminate the terrorists and those who dispatch them. We will bring our hostages home from Gaza. And we will return our citizens who live on our Northern border safely to their homes.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry echoed Netanyahu’s statement, reaffirming Israel’s determination to neutralize terrorist threats, return hostages from Gaza, and restore security to its northern communities.
Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defense minister, condemned the drone strike, vowing retaliation and insisting Israel’s military remains undeterred in its mission to eliminate Hamas.
The drone strike has generated speculation online that it might be a response to the recent death of Yahya Sinwar, the top leader of Hamas, at the hands of Israeli forces.
Sinwar, who had topped Israel’s most-wanted list since the Oct. 7, 2023, deadly incursion into Israel by Hamas operatives, was killed on Oct. 16 during a military operation in Gaza. The Israeli military described the operation as the culmination of a year-long pursuit, indicating that Sinwar had been hiding in Hamas’s underground tunnel network.
Sinwar’s death marks a significant blow to Hamas, which has been the target of Israeli military action in response to last year’s attack against Israel, which resulted in over 1,200 Israeli casualties and the capture of more than 250 hostages, of whom about 100 remain in captivity.
Netanyahu hailed the elimination of Sinwar as a key development, saying: “We have come to terms with Sinwar, this is an important moment in the war.”
The apparent assassination attempt of a sitting Israeli prime minister by an Iranian proxy is a rare escalation, possibly signaling a willingness by Tehran’s allies to engage in more aggressive cross-border actions. Iran has long supported Hezbollah as a strategic ally in the region, using it as a conduit for operations against Israel.
Saturday’s incident occurred nearly a week after a Hezbollah drone attack killed four soldiers and wounded dozens at a military training base in northern Israel, not far from Caesarea, where Netanyahu’s summer home is located.
Reuters contributed to this report.
From The Epoch Times