2024 drone attack on Benjamin Netanyahu's residence

{{Short description|Attack on the Israeli Prime Minister's house}}

{{Infobox civilian attack

| title =

| location = Caesarea, Haifa District, Israel

| date = 19 October 2024

| partof = Israeli–Lebanese conflict

| image = Benjamin Netanyahu October 22, 2024 (3x4 cropped).jpg

| caption = Benjamin Netanyahu on 22 October 2024, three days after the drone strike

| time =

| timezone =

| target = Residence of Benjamin Netanyahu and his family

| type = Attempted assassination by drone strike

| fatalities = None

| perps = {{flag|Hezbollah}}{{Cite web|url=https://aje.io/dp0m3l?update=3265106|title=Live blog|website=Al Jazeera English}}

}}

On 19 October 2024, a drone strike took place on the private residence of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the town of Caesarea, Israel. The attack was referred to as an assassination attempt by several news outlets and by Netanyahu himself and was suspected to have been launched from Lebanon. The incident did not result in any injuries, and Netanyahu was not at his home during the attack. This targeting came in the context of ongoing escalation between Israel and the Axis of Resistance, including Hezbollah, in light of the ongoing Israeli–Lebanese conflict.{{Cite web |title=Hezbollah launches volleys of rockets as Israel pounds Beirut suburbs |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/19/drone-hits-netanyahus-home-as-hezbollah-rockets-target-northern-israel |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Pietromarchi |first=Virginia |title=Israel strikes Lebanon's capital; siege of Gaza's Jabalia enters 15th day |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/10/19/live-israeli-attack-kills-at-least-33-in-north-gazas-jabalia-refugee-camp |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2024-10-19 |title=Israel says drone launched towards Benjamin Netanyahu's house |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-20/israel-says-drone-launched-towards-benjamin-netanyahus-house/104493702 |access-date=2024-10-19 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}

Attack

On October 19, 2024, Benjamin Netanyahu’s home in Caesarea was targeted by one of three drones, believed to have been launched from Lebanon. The attack came amid heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, with several rockets and drones fired toward areas in northern Israel. The attack did not result in any injuries, and Netanyahu was not at his residence at the time. Two other drones launched into the area were intercepted.{{Cite web |last=Schreck |first=Adam |last2=Magdy |first2=Samy |date=2024-10-19 |title=A drone targets the Israeli prime minister's house while strikes in Gaza kill more than 50 |url=https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-10-18-2024-c49911f11a40b7d81b21bc8568ecfe11 |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=AP News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last1=El Deeb |first1=Sarah |last2=Amiri |first2=Farnoush |last3=Goldenberg |first3=Tia |date=2024-10-22 |title=Netanyahu's bedroom window hit, damaged during drone attack |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/israel-sent-the-warning-40-minutes-later-the-missile-struck-suburban-beirut-20241023-p5kki8.html |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}} The drone cracked a bedroom window but failed to penetrate further due to reinforced glass and additional protections, while debris landed on a swimming pool and the yard.{{Cite web |last=Fabian |first=Emanuel |date=2024-10-23 |title=Netanyahu's home was hit, bedroom window damaged, in Saturday's Hezbollah drone attack, military censor finally allows Israeli media to report |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/netanyahus-home-was-hit-and-damaged-in-saturdays-hezbollah-drone-attack-military-censor-finally-allows-israeli-media-to-report/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=The Times of Israel |language=en}}

Al Jazeera reporter Nour Odeh reported that prior to the strike, areas in northern Israel witnessed several rocket attacks by Hezbollah, and sirens were activated in cities such as Haifa and the Galilee, which she stated could have acted as decoys prior to the attack on Netanyahu's residence. She reported that sirens had gone off around Caesarea only after the attack on Netanyahu's residence was confirmed.

Responses

= Israel =

Benjamin Netanyahu called the attack an attempted assassination against himself and his wife Sara Netanyahu conducted by Iranian proxies, stating that they had "made a bitter mistake". He further stated that the attack would not hinder or dissuade Israel from "the war of revival" against Israel's enemies and to ensure Israel's security for generations.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/10/19/live-israeli-attack-kills-at-least-33-in-north-gazas-jabalia-refugee-camp?update=3258996|title=Updates: Israeli attack on Gaza's Beit Lahiya kills at least 73|first1=Alastair|last1=Mccready|first2=Umut|last2=Uras|first3=Virginia|last3=Pietromarchi|date=2024-10-19|website=Al Jazeera English}}

Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz also stated that the attack was an assassination attempt against Netanyahu and his family conducted by Iranian proxies, and called the attack another exposure of "Iran’s true face and the evil axis it leads".

= Axis of Resistance =

Iran stated that Hezbollah was responsible for the reported attack, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency, which quoted Iran's mission to the UN stating, "The action in question has been carried out by Hezbollah in Lebanon."{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=Tom |last2=Lukiv |first2=Jaroslav |date=20 October 2024 |title=Netanyahu undeterred after reported drone attack on his home |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyl4e7w2e7o |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}

Hezbollah stated that it had conducted multiple rocket strikes across north and central Israel on the same day of the attack, although it did not explicitly state that it was responsible for the drone attack on Netanyahu's residence. Hezbollah later claimed responsibility for the attack on 22 October 2024.{{Cite web |date=22 October 2024 |title=Hezbollah claims responsibility for drone attack on Netanyahu holiday home |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/22/hezbollah-takes-responsibility-for-drone-attack-on-netanyahu-holiday-home |website=Al Jazeera}}

Al Jazeera reporter Nour Odeh called the attack a matter of concern for Israeli security forces, due to the fact that the drone successfully struck its intended target 70 kilometers (43 miles) away from the Lebanese border without triggering any sirens.

= International =

United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, after receiving information regarding the attack from Israel's Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, was reported to have been "relieved" that Netanyahu survived, and began to review adjustments to United States operations in the Middle East, including the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system to bolster Israeli defense against the Axis of Resistance.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer held a call with Netanyahu following the attack, expressing alarm at the use of drones.{{Cite web |title=Middle East latest: Netanyahu calls 'assassination attempt' a 'grave mistake' - as dozens reportedly killed in Gaza strikes |url=https://news.sky.com/story/middle-east-latest-netanyahu-calls-assassination-attempt-a-grave-mistake-as-dozens-reported-dead-in-gaza-strikes-12978800 |access-date=2024-10-19 |website=Sky News |language=en}}