On Saturday, two flash bombs were thrown into the garden of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Caesarea, northern Israel, as reported by the police.
Fortunately, neither Netanyahu nor his family were at the residence during the incident, and no damage resulted from the attack, police confirmed in a statement.
The event quickly drew sharp responses from top government officials. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz expressed his outrage early Sunday on the social platform X, emphasizing the severity of the situation.
Katz stated that such an incident “crossed all red lines,” highlighting the ongoing threats faced by Netanyahu, notably from Iran and its proxies who have previously targeted him for assassination. Katz urged that “It is not possible for the Prime Minister of Israel to be subject to the same threats from home,” calling for immediate and decisive actions from security and judicial bodies.
Hezbollah successfully hit Netanyahu's residence 70km inside Israel, though he was away.
Israeli Apaches failed to intercept the drone, and no sirens sounded, marking a major security failure and highlighting Hezbollah's continued & escalating capabilities. pic.twitter.com/NuzKURZoi4
— Sina Toossi (@SinaToossi) October 19, 2024
Adding to the strong governmental reactions, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog also addressed the incident on X, condemning the action and confirming that an investigation was underway.
Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir echoed these sentiments, lamenting the attack as a severe violation of boundaries. “The incitement against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu crosses all boundaries. Throwing a flash bomb into his house tonight is crossing another red line,” he commented on X.
This consensus among Israel’s top officials underscores the gravity of the situation and the need for stringent security measures to protect national leaders and ensure their safety against both external and internal threats.