The house of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was targeted with two flash bombs on Saturday in the central town of Caesarea.
The attack, which caused no damage, is the second in a month, after a drone launched from Lebanon hit the Prime Minister’s residence in October. The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region, with wars raging in Gaza and Lebanon, and growing rage in Israel for Netanyahu’s failure to secure a hostage deal.
‘Serious Incident’
The Israeli security services said that two flash bombs fell near the house of Netanyahu on Saturday, calling the incident “serious,” according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The Prime Minister and his family were not present at the time and the attack caused no damage.
In a joint statement, the Israeli police and the Shin Bet internal security agency said: “Two flares landed in the courtyard outside the prime minister’s residence. The prime minister and his family were not in the house at the time of the incident.”
In October, Netanyahu’s home was attacked with a drone launched from Lebanon. The Israeli Prime Minister had been also targeted in September, when the Iranian-backed Houthis launched a ballistic missile toward Ben Gurion Airport while Netanyahu’s plane was landing. The two attacks caused no casualties.
Crossing Red Lines
In response to the incident, several Israeli officials condemned the attack on the Prime Minister’s home. The Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, said that it crossed all red lines. He wrote on X on Sunday: “It is not possible for the Prime Minister of Israel, who is threatened by Iran and its proxies who are trying to assassinate him, to be subject to the same threats from home.”
Similarly, the Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, wrote a post on X condemning the attack, saying that authorities were investigating the incident. Meanwhile, Israel’s Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, posted on X: “The incitement against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu crosses all boundaries. Throwing a flash bomb into his house tonight is crossing another red line.”
Arresting Suspects
The Israeli police arrested three suspects, without providing details about their identities or motives, reported the Associated Press (AP). However, officials pointed to domestic political critics of Netanyahu, as he is facing growing anger on his conduct of the wars in Gaza and Lebanon and his inability to secure a hostage deal.
Since the October 7 attack in 2023, the Israeli Prime Minister has faced months of mass protests over his handling of the crisis. At the same time, critics blame him for the security and intelligence failures that led to the attack and also for failing to return the hostages held in Gaza. On Saturday night, protestors took to the streets of Tel Aviv, demanding a ceasefire deal to release the hostages.
Divisive Judiciary Overhaul
Meanwhile, the Israeli Justice Minister, Yariv Levin, seized the incident of the flash bombs to renew his calls for the revival of his judiciary overhaul plans, which sparked anger and months of mass protests before the Gaza war.
Levin said in a statement: “The time has come to provide full support for the restoration of the justice system and the law enforcement systems, and to put an end to anarchy, rampage, refusal, and attempts to harm the Prime Minister.”
The judiciary overhaul remains a highly divisive issue within the Israeli society. Supporters see it as an attempt to strengthen democracy by reducing the powers of unelected judges while granting more powers to elected officials. However, opponents consider it a power grab by Netanyahu, who is facing corruption charges.
On this matter, the opposition leader, Yair Lapid, condemned the flash bombs attack on the Prime Minister’s house, but criticized Levin’s proposal. He posted on X: “Levin should go home with rest of this irresponsible government. We will not let him turn Israel into an undemocratic state.”
The War in Gaza
Israel’s war in Gaza, which followed Hamas attack on October 7, has so far killed around 43,000 Palestinians, displaced about 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million population, and destroyed large swaths of territories. On Thursday, the UN Security Council’s 10 elected members circulated a draft resolution calling for “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza.
In a new report, the UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices said that Israel’s conduct of war in Gaza is “consistent with the characteristics of genocide.” The Committee said in a press release that “Israel is intentionally causing death, starvation and serious injury, using starvation as a method of war and inflicting collective punishment on the Palestinian population.”
Moreover, the Special Committee warned of Israel’s use of AI-enhanced targeting systems in its military operations. “The Israeli military’s use of AI-assisted targeting, with minimal human oversight, combined with heavy bombs, underscores Israel’s disregard of its obligation to distinguish between civilians and combatants and take adequate safeguards to prevent civilian deaths,” it said.
