Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office announced on Saturday night that a drone fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon hit the Prime Minister's private home in Caesarea, causing minor damage to the building. The Prime Minister and his wife were unhurt as they were not home.
This was the first direct assassination attempt at the Israeli Prime Minister ever since the war began last year.
The Prime Minister later issued a statement warning of repercussions. "The agents of Iran who tried to assassinate me and my wife today made a bitter mistake," he said, adding that the attack would not deter him from continuing the war. He said anyone who harms Israelis will pay "a heavy price."
Hezbollah didn't claim responsibility for the drone attack, but said it carried out several rocket attacks on northern and central Israel.
Iran too rubbished the allegations with Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei stating that "the Zionist regime has been founded on the basis of spreading lies and distorting facts."
"The Zionist regime has been formed on the basis of lies and distortion of facts. Spreading lies is the current and permanent practice of this regime and its criminal leaders," the spokesman told IRNA.
The lightweight drone reportedly hit Netanyahu's home, inflicting minor damage. However, there were no warning sirens in Caesarea ahead of the drone impact and explosion, which has raised concerns about the country's warning system. The IDF has launched a probe into why the alarm system didn't sound.
Soon after the explosion, videos began doing rounds on social media showing attack helicopters hunting the drone. Residents reported hearing "helicopters above us" and feeling uneasy.
"We heard helicopters above us and there was a feeling that there was some sort of incident but there were no sirens so we were not too worried,” one Caesarea resident told Channel 12. "But then suddenly a large explosion was heard and it was not clear to us if it was from an interception or a drone impact — but it was clear that it was a real incident with no prior warning. It was very worrying; luckily, there are no casualties," a resident told Israel's Channel 12.
Meanwhile, Israel continued its airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyeh, a heavily populated area home to Hezbollah's offices. Air raids continued in Gaza too as Israeli forces struck north, killing over 50 people, including children, in less than 24 hours, reported the Associated Press.