Israel confirms that Hezbollah drone hit Netanyahu’s home

Both Israel and Hezbollah have officially confirmed that the Lebanese movement was behind a drone strike that hit the private home of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday.

Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security agency confirmed the drone struck the building after Hezbollah issued a statement earlier on Tuesday.

Netanyahu and his wife Sara were away from the coastal town of Caesarea, about 50 miles (80 km) from Israel’s northern border, when the drone – one of three launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon – reached its target. There were no casualties.

Israeli media released images of the house after the attack. The drone reportedly exploded near Netanyahu’s bedroom window, causing damage to both the garden and the inside of the house.

“The Islamic Resistance claims responsibility for the operation in Caesarea and the attack on Netanyahu’s house,” said Mohammad Afif, head of Hezbollah’s media office, adding that no negotiations would take place as long as fighting with Israel continued.

Until today, Israeli media had only reported that the drone had been launched towards Netanyahu’s home, not that it had hit the structure of the building.

Netanyahu’s spokesman said one of three drones launched from Lebanon struck Netanyahu’s home in the city of Caesarea, adding that it was not nearby and there were no casualties.

According to the Jerusalem Post, Yossi Shelly, director general of Netanyahu’s office, visited the Caesarea residence on Sunday along with other officials to assess the damage caused by the strike.

The drone was followed by an Israeli Apache helicopter, which identified the infiltration from Lebanon up to the moment of impact, but failed to prevent the attack.

The two other drones launched by Hezbollah at the residence breached Israeli airspace but were intercepted in open areas, according to Israeli media.

On Saturday, Netanyahu responded to the attacks by saying: “The Iranian allies, who tried to kill me and my wife today, made a serious mistake. This will not prevent me or the State of Israel from continuing the war of revival against our enemies to ensure our security for generations to come.”

Abu Obeida, Hamas’s military spokesman, said: “We congratulate the quality operation by which Hezbollah attacked the residence of war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu.”