Drone Targets Prime Minister Netanyahu’s House as Ayatollah Vows Hamas Will Keep Up Its Fight

Prime minister’s office says the drone targeted his house in the Mediterranean coastal town of Caesarea, though neither he nor his wife were home.

AP/Ariel Schalit
Israeli security forces secure a road near Prime Minister Netanyahu's house at Caesarea, Israel October 19, 2024. AP/Ariel Schalit

JERUSALEM — The Israeli government said a drone targeted the prime minister’s house Saturday, though there were no casualties, as Iran’s supreme leader vowed Hamas would keep up its fight following the killing of the mastermind of last year’s deadly October 7 attack.

Sirens wailed in Israel warning of incoming fire from Lebanon. The military said dozens of projectiles were launched. 

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office said the drone targeted his house at the Mediterranean coastal town of Caesarea, though neither he nor his wife were home.

The barrage comes as Israel considers its expected response to an Iranian attack earlier this month and presses its offensives against Hamas militants in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In Gaza, Israeli strikes in the battered northern part of the Palestinian Arab enclave killed more than 50 people, according to hospital officials and an Associated Press reporter there.

In September, Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a ballistic missile toward Ben Gurion Airport when Mr. Netanyahu’s plane was landing. The missile was intercepted.

In addition to the drone launched at Netanyahu’s private residence, Israel’s military said some 180 projectiles were fired throughout the day from Lebanon on Saturday morning. 

A 50-year-old man was killed after being hit by shrapnel while sitting in his car in northern Israel, and four people were injured, Israel’s medical services said.

In the northern city of Kiryat Ata, sirens blared as people ran for cover and intercepted missiles exploded in the sky. 

One rocket landed in the area, and Associated Press reporters saw burned cars and a damaged building. Itzik Billet, commander for the Haifa area, said nine people were lightly injured.

The Israeli fire service also said it was battling several blazes resulting from missiles in the Shlomi area, less than a mile from the Lebanese border.

Israel’s war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah — a Hamas ally backed by Iran — has intensified in recent weeks. 

Hezbollah said Friday that it planned to launch a new phase of fighting by sending more guided missiles and exploding drones into Israel. 

The group’s longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in late September, and Israel sent ground troops into Lebanon earlier in October.


The New York Sun

© 2024 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use