Israeli police forces have arrested several people after a pair of flares were fired at prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in the coastal city of Caesarea in the northern part of the occupied territories, and landed by the house in the yard.
Police and Israel’s so-called internal security service, Shin Bet, said in a joint statement that no damage or casualties were reported in the Saturday incident.
“The prime minister and his family were not in the house at the time of the incident,” they added.
“An investigation has been opened. This is a serious incident and a dangerous escalation.”
The Israel Police later said three people were arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning in connection with the firing of flares.
Figures across the Israeli political spectrum condemned the incident as unacceptable.
Netanyahu’s political rivals and opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz issued statements, condemning the incident and calling for law enforcement to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Israeli president Isaac Herzog also issued a strong condemnation, and labeled the attack “a highly dangerous incident.”
Herzog said he spoke with Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and emphasized “the urgent need to investigate and deal with those responsible for the incident as soon as possible.”
The incident comes after a drone attack targeted the same residence on October 19, which was later claimed by the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement.
“The Islamic Resistance claims responsibility for the Caesarea operation and targeting Netanyahu’s home,” the head of Hezbollah’s media office, Mohammad Afif, said at a news conference at the Ghobeiry area in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut on October 22.
Afif said at the time that if in the previous attack, Netanyahu was not hurt, “the coming days and nights and the [battle] fields are between us.”
Afif appeared to suggest that Hezbollah might carry out similar attempts in the future.
Hezbollah opened a “support front” on October 8 last year in response to the Israeli regime’s genocidal war against the Gaza Strip which was launched a day before, carrying out daily operations in the regions north of the Israeli-occupied territories.
The Israeli regime has so far killed close to 43,800 Palestinians in the besieged territory.
Since September 23, the Israeli army has been launching unprecedented air attacks on Lebanon in a dangerous escalation with Hezbollah.
The death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon since the onset of hostilities on October 8, 2023, has reached 3,452, and injuries have gone up to 14,664, according to Lebanese health authorities.
