Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of trying to assassinate him, with the Middle East already on edge after Israel had vowed retaliation for an Iranian missile barrage.
Israel said a drone targeted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence on Saturday, as Hezbollah launched a barrage of projectiles into Israel from its northern neighbor Lebanon.
Hassan Alik, fleeing escalating violence in the Israel-Hezbollah war, left Lebanon on Saturday aboard a ship to avoid Beirut’s airport, which he feared “could be bombed” at any moment.
The 31-year-old traveled to the northern port of Tripoli, on Lebanon’s Mediterranean coast, which has so far been spared Israeli airstrikes during a month of intense fighting across much of the tiny country.
Fresh Israeli Strikes In Lebanon As Netanyahu Vows ‘Heavy Price’ For Attempted ‘Assassination’ By Hezbollah The conflict over the past year has caused direct Iranian-Israeli confrontations, including missile attacks on Israel in April and on October 1. Netanyahu has vowed to respond to the October attack.
“The attempt by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake,” Netanyahu said in a statement.Netanyahu says Iran-backed Hezbollah tried to kill him
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah on any drone attack targeting Netanyahu’s house in the northern Israeli town of Caesarea, which the prime minister said was aimed at killing him and his wife. However, Netanyahu described it as an assassination attempt by “Iran’s proxy Hezbollah” and called it a “grave mistake”, as Israel hit Iran-backed group Hezbollah’s arms facilities in Beirut and “Hamas terror target” in Gaza.Netanyahu says Iran-backed Hezbollah tried to kill him
“Anyone who tries to harm Israel’s citizens will pay a heavy price,” he said in comments directed at Tehran and “its proxies”, which include Lebanon’s Hezbollah, a group Israel has been at war with since late September.Netanyahu says Iran-backed Hezbollah tried to kill him
Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister and his wife were not at their residence in the central town of Caesarea during the drone attack and there were no injuries. Earlier, the military said a drone launched from Lebanon had “hit a structure” in Caesarea.Netanyahu says Iran-backed Hezbollah tried to kill him
The Lebanese group, armed and financed by Iran, did not acknowledge the attack, but late on Saturday Iran’s United Nations mission said “this action was taken” by Hezbollah.Netanyahu says Iran-backed Hezbollah tried to kill him