2024 drone attack on Benjamin Netanyahu's residence

2024 drone attack on Benjamin Netanyahu's residence
Part of Israeli–Lebanese conflict
Official portrait of Israel's 9th Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu
Location	Caesarea, Haifa, Israel
Date	19 October 2024
Target	Residence of Benjamin Netanyahu and his family
Attack type	Drone attack
Deaths	None
Injured	None
Perpetrators	Hezbollah (alleged)
Motive	Alleged assassination attempt

On October 19, 2024, a drone strike took place on the holiday residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the resort town of Caesarea, Israel. The attack was referred to as an assassination attempt by several news outlets and by Netanyahu himself, and is suspected to have been launched from Lebanon. The incident did not result in any injuries, as 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.

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, as Netanyahu was not at his residence at the time. Two other drones launched in the area were intercepted.

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

Regional

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 continuing its bombardments and ground invasion of Lebanon.

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".

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.

Al Jazeera reporter Nour Odeh called the attack a matter of concern for Israeli security forces, due to 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.

See also

• 2024 Hezbollah drone strike on Binyamina
• 2024 Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv
• October 2024 Bachoura airstrike
• October 2024 central Beirut medical center airstrike
• Kremlin drone attack