'Grave mistake': Netanyahu warns Iran's proxies after Hezbollah's drone attack on his residence
Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stern warning to Hezbollah following an alleged assassination attempt targeting him and his wife, calling it a "grave mistake" and vowing that anyone threatening Israeli citizens would face severe consequences.
Netanyahu’s warning came in response to a drone attack launched towards his residence in Caesarea. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, he described Hezbollah as "Iran's proxy" and stated that the assassination attempt would not deter him or Israel from continuing their fight against the nation's enemies.
"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," Netanyahu wrote.
Addressing Iran and the 'Axis of Resistance'—which includes Hezbollah, Hamas, and Yemen's Houthis—Netanyahu emphasized that Israel is committed to achieving its war objectives and reshaping the region’s security landscape for the long term.
"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. 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. Israel is determined to achieve all our war objectives and change the security reality in our region for generations to come," he said.
The attempt by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 19, 2024
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:…
On Saturday, a drone was launched towards Netanyahu’s residence a day after Hamas confirmed the death of its leader, Yahya Sinwar, in an Israeli attack on Gaza.
"A UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) was launched toward the prime minister's residence in Caesarea. The prime minister and his wife were not at the location, and there were no injuries in the incident," his office said in a statement.
The Israeli military reported that three drones had been fired from Lebanon on the same day, with two of them intercepted. No group, including Hezbollah, has claimed responsibility for the drone attack.
Sinwar, believed to be the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, in which more than 1,200 Israelis were killed and over 250 taken hostage, was killed on Wednesday. He took over as Hamas chief after the assassination of his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, Iran.