Netanyahu claims Hezbollah tried to assassinate him

20.10.2024 17:34

Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the Iranian-backed armed group Hezbollah of attempting to kill him and his wife after his vacation home was targeted by a drone launched from Lebanon.

On Saturday morning, three UAVs loaded with explosives were spotted flying towards the coastal town of Caesarea in northern Israel. Two drones were intercepted by the Israel Defense Force (IDF), while a third exploded near the prime minister's private residence. Netanyahu and his wife were not at home during the attack, and there were no casualties in the area.

While Hezbollah did not claim responsibility for the strike in Caesarea, the pro-Palestinian group announced new attacks on north and central Israel on Saturday, according to Al Jazeera.

In a message on X, Netanyahu issued a strongly worded warning to Hezbollah and its allies in Tehran. “The attempt by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake,” he said, adding that the attack “will not deter me or the State of Israel from continuing our just war against our enemies in order to secure our future.”

“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 continued.

The prime minister pledged to rescue the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and to facilitate the safe return of Israeli residents to areas near the border with Lebanon, which have frequently come under Hezbollah fire.

“Israel is determined to achieve all our war objectives and change the security reality in our region for generations to come,” he concluded.

Some 70,000 Israelis have been forced to flee their homes due to Hezbollah attacks since October 2023. The IDF intensified airstrikes on Lebanon last month, killing several high-ranking Hezbollah operatives, including the group’s longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Overall, more than 2,000 people have been killed during Israeli strikes in Lebanon, according to the country’s Health Ministry.

On Friday, Hezbollah announced that its military confrontation with the Jewish State was entering “a new and escalatory phase.” The group vowed to continue firing rockets and drones across the border in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has been waging a war against Hamas for over a year.