Three suspects were arrested after two flares were fired Saturday evening near the private residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was not at the scene, police and the Shin Bet (domestic security service) said on Sunday. .
“During the night, three suspects were arrested for their involvement in the incident,” which took place in Caesarea, in the center of the country, they said in a statement.
No information has filtered out on the identity of the suspects or their motivations.
The court ordered a ban on the publication of information on the investigation or the identity of the suspects for a period of 30 days, the press release said.
On Saturday evening, two flares landed in the courtyard in front of the Prime Minister's residence, according to the police and the Shin Bet, who called it “a serious incident.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog then warned of “an escalation of violence in the public sphere” on X.
Several ministers designated the protest movement against the government as responsible for this incident through their speeches.
“There was no need to wait for these flares to understand the gravity of the violence by those who are trying to dismantle the country from within,” said the Minister of Justice and Deputy Prime Minister. Minister, Yariv Levin, in a press release.
In opposition, Benny Gantz, former member of the war cabinet and leader of the National Union party (center), also pointed to a drift in the protest movement.
“If the suspicions are well-founded and if protest activists are behind the firing of flares at the Prime Minister's house, it must be said clearly and unambiguously: this is not a protest, it is terrorism,” he wrote on X.
Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar issued a statement Sunday calling the incident “a very serious one that is far from a legitimate protest.”
“We will not accept any violent activity against state symbols. Each case will be treated with the greatest severity,” he added.
