Iran’s Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, attempted to attack the Caesarea home of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with an explosive drone early Saturday. No injuries were reported. Two other drones were shot down.
The prime minister and his wife Sara were not home at the time of the attack. Netanyahu told a reporter the failed assassination attempt will not deter him from continuing Israel’s war against Hamas and Hezbollah.
? Breaking: Israel ?? Prime Minister @netanyahu comments following the failed Iranian ?? assassination attempt on him today: “Nothing will deter me!” pic.twitter.com/8j65etQGHW
— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) October 19, 2024
“I am proud of our soldiers, I am proud of our commanders, and I am proud of you, our Israeli citizens,” Netanyahu said in a Hebrew-language version of the above video message. “Nothing will deter us. We are continuing, until victory.”
No Red Alert warning sirens were activated before the attack, residents said, although some reported hearing a “buzzing” sounds prior to the explosion.
“Suddenly we heard a buzzing sound, it was not clear what was happening, then there was a huge explosion, very strong,” Ofek Mor, a resident of Caesarea, told Ynet.
“We heard helicopters above us and there was a feeling there was some sort of incident but there were no sirens so we were not too worried. But then suddenly a large explosion was heard and it was not clear to us if it was from an interception or a drone impact; but it was clear that it was a real incident with no prior warning,” another resident of the tony community told Israel’s Channel 12 News.
“This is the first time since the beginning of the war that a target affiliated directly with Netanyahu has been hit,” Axios reported, but offered no further details.
A brief statement from the Israel Defense Forces said “a building was hit,” adding the military was investigating the incident.
Red Alert sirens were triggered in the town of Glilot, north of Tel Aviv, home to the headquarters of Israel’s international Mossad intelligence agency, and an IDF intelligence base.
