A drone was launched towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Caesarea on Saturday, following the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. This incident marks a new escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and militant groups in the region.
Netanyahu’s spokesperson confirmed that the Prime Minister and his wife were not present during the attack, and there were no casualties. “A UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) was launched toward the prime minister’s residence in Caesarea. The prime minister and his wife were not at the location, and there were no injuries in the incident,” the Prime Minister’s office stated.
The Israeli military reported that the drone was launched from Lebanon and hit a building, while two additional drones that crossed into Israeli territory were intercepted.
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No Immediate Claims of Responsibility
Although Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israel since last October, no immediate claims of responsibility for the drone attack were made by the group or any other militant organization.
The escalation follows intense exchanges of rocket fire between Hezbollah and Israel since the October 7 attack. In response to the mounting violence, Israeli ground troops crossed the Lebanese border last month. On Friday, the Israeli military destroyed Hezbollah’s regional command center in a significant airstrike.
Death Toll in Lebanon
According to Lebanese health ministry figures, at least 1,418 people have been killed in Lebanon since the conflict reignited in late September, though the actual toll may be higher. The violence escalated further on Saturday when an Israeli airstrike in Jounieh, north of Beirut, killed two people.
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Lebanese state media confirmed that the strike targeted a car on a key highway connecting the capital to northern Lebanon, marking the first strike on the area since Hezbollah and Israel began trading fire.
Escalating Tensions in the Region
The conflict in the Middle East has intensified since the killing of Sinwar, a significant figure in Hamas. Sinwar, who orchestrated the October 7 attacks that resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis and the capture of more than 250 hostages, assumed leadership of Hamas after the death of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran.
