Israel vows Iran will 'pay a heavy price' after drone strike on Netanyahu's private residence

A Hezbollah drone from Lebanon struck Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Caesarea on Saturday morning. Israeli officials blamed Iran for the attack, warning that it will "pay a heavy price."

Netanyahu stated: “The agents of Iran who tried to assassinate me and my wife today made a bitter mistake.”  

He added: “This will not deter me or the State of Israel from continuing our just war against our enemies in order to secure our future.” 

“I say to Iran and its proxies in its axis of evil: Anyone who tries to harm Israel’s citizens will pay a heavy price,” Netanyahu continued. “We will continue to eliminate the terrorists and those who dispatch them.” 

🚨Netanyahu's response to the drone attack that hit his private residence earlier today: pic.twitter.com/dCm2uJuFMT

— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) October 19, 2024

A source close to the prime minister told Israel Hayom, “Hezbollah is an Iranian arm and therefore Iran has responsibility for this incident as well.” 

“There will be a response to the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Netanyahu,” the source added.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz directly blamed Iran for the attack, as well, posting on 𝕏 that Iranian proxies “attempted to assassinate Prime Minister Netanyahu.” 

The Iranian proxies who attempted to assassinate Prime Minister Netanyahu and his family today have once again exposed Iran's true face and the evil axis it leads.

I fully support the Prime Minister's statement and emphasize: Israel will continue to strike terrorists and their…

— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) October 19, 2024

The Iranian embassy to the UN said Hezbollah was responsible for the attack on Netanyahu’s residence, but denied any participation.

"We deny any connection by Tehran to the drone sent at Netanyahu's home in Caesarea today," the representative stated. 

A spokesman for Iran's Permanent Mission to the UN told The Wall Street Journal that the “action in question has been carried out by Hezbollah in Lebanon."

Katz responded to Iran's denial on 𝕏.

“The primary proxy, the tentacle Iran created, funded, armed, trained, and now controls in all its operations, is suddenly portrayed as an independent entity. Your lies and false pretenses won’t help you – you are responsible.” 

While not directly accusing the Iranian regime, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called the attack on Netanyahu’s residence an attempt “to harm the State of Israel and its governmental symbols.” 

“The security establishment will continue to attack any terrorist factor and will strike with force any enemy that harmed or tries to harm the State of Israel – our actions all over the Middle East have proven this to date, and will prove it in the future as well,” Gallant said. 

The drone strike is the second attempt by Iranian proxies to hit Netanyahu in recent months.

In September, Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a ballistic missile toward the Ben-Gurion International Airport outside of Tel Aviv as Netanyahu returned from the UN General Assembly in New York. That missile was intercepted.