Benjamin Netanyahu's house targeted by 'flares', three suspects arrested

INTERNATIONAL – Police services denounce a « grave escalade ». Three suspects were arrested after two flares were fired on Saturday evening, November 16, in the courtyard of the private residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was not at the scene, police and Shin Beth said on Sunday morning. (internal security service). No casualties have been reported.

The incident took place in Caesarea, in the center of the country, they continued in a statement, adding that the judiciary ordered a ban on the publication of information on the investigation or the identity of the suspects for a period of 30 days.

The “anti-Bibi” movement accused of fueling the attack

« Vers 19 h 30 (6:30 p.m. in Paris)two flares landed in the courtyard in front of the Prime Minister's residence »the police and the Shin Bet clarified on Friday evening. “The Prime Minister and his family were not in the house”they added, evoking “a dangerous escalation”.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned the incident and warned against “an escalation of violence in the public sphere”. “I just spoke with the head of the Shin Bet and insisted on the urgency of investigating” and to place the authors before their responsibilities “as soon as possible”he said on X.

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana accused the protest movement against the government of fueling the attack. “The writing was on the walls, on the roads, in the inflammatory messages and in the demonstrations”he wrote on X.

Judicial reform promoted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies deeply fractured the country in 2023, giving rise to one of the most significant protest movements in Israeli history. In addition to abandoning the reform, protesters are demanding the departure of Netanyahu, indicted in corruption cases. The reform was suspended with the start of the war with Palestinian Hamas on October 7, 2023, but the movement « anti-Aunt »the nickname of the Israeli Prime Minister, continues to mobilize, even if the demonstrations are of lesser importance.

A Hezbollah drone attack on this same residence

On October 22, a drone was fired in the direction of this same residence and hit a « structure » from Caesarea, the Prime Minister's office said. Also absent at that time, Netanyahu then accused “Hezbollah, ally of Iran”to have ” tent “ to murder him and his wife, ensuring that they “pay a high price”.

Three days later, the Lebanese Islamist movement, supported by Tehran, claimed responsibility for the attack. “We announce our full and sole responsibility for the Caesarea operation (…) which targeted the war criminal Netanyahu”declared Mohammad Afif, head of media relations for the movement.

Israel launched a military offensive in Lebanon in September in order to neutralize Hezbollah in the border regions of the south of the country and thus allow the return, to the north of its own territory, of inhabitants displaced by more than a year of fire. rockets.

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