Hezbollah Claims ‘Exclusive’ Responsibility For Drone Attack Targeting Israeli PM Netanyahu's Residence

Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for a drone attack targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private residence after he accused Iran of involvement

File Photo of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Source : PTI

Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for a drone attack last week targeting the private residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Caesarea. The group's spokesperson, Mohammed Afif, made the announcement on Tuesday, stating, "Hezbollah declares its full, complete and exclusive responsibility for the Caesarea operation targeting... Netanyahu," as per news agency AFP.

Netanyahu Says Those Harming Israel’s Citizens ‘Will Pay A Heavy Price’

The statement followed Netanyahu's accusation that Iran was involved in the drone attack. The Israeli Prime Minister took to social media platform X on 19 October, saying, "The attempt by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake. This will not deter me or the State of Israel from continuing our just war against our enemies in order to secure our future." He further warned, "Anyone who tries to harm Israel’s citizens will pay a heavy price."

Netanyahu reiterated his determination to achieve Israel's war objectives, adding, "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." He concluded with a message of resolve: "Together, we will fight, and with God's help – together, we will win."

The attempt by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake.

This 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:…

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 19, 2024

Drone Attack On Netanyahu's Caesarea Residence

The incident occurred on Saturday morning when a drone was reportedly "launched towards" Netanyahu's Caesarea residence. The Israeli Prime Minister and his wife were not present at the time, and no injuries were reported.

According to the Israeli military, three drones were launched from Lebanon, with one hitting a building in Caesarea. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that "two of the aircraft were intercepted. Another aircraft hit a building in Caesarea, no injuries," in a statement at 08:19 local time (06:19 BST), BBC reported. While the IDF did not specify whether the building was part of the prime minister's residence, US outlet Axios reported that the drone did hit the residence.

The attack comes amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran. Following Iran's large-scale ballistic missile attack on 1 October, Israel's Defence Minister has warned that the country’s response would be "deadly, precise and surprising." The Israeli defence minister stated that their retaliation would be "deadly, precise and surprising", BBC reported.