Netanyahu’s strong message after drone attack on residence: Won’t deter me
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday asserted his determination in the ongoing conflict with Hamas, declaring that “nothing will deter” him and reaffirming that Israel is “going to win this war”.
The rare video statement by Netanyahu, released on Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, came in the wake of a drone attack that targeted his residence in Caesarea, though he did not directly reference the incident.
In the video, posted on social media both in English and Hebrew, Netanyahu said, “You know, two days ago we eliminated the mass murderer [Hamas leader] Yahya Sinwar. As I’ve said, we’re in an existential war, and we’re continuing to the end.”
Filmed in a sunny park while donning sunglasses and a black polo shirt, Netanyahu praised the Israel Defence Forces, saying, “I’m proud of our soldiers, I’m proud of our commanders, and I’m proud of you, the citizens of Israel”.
In the English version of his address, Netanyahu described Sinwar as “the terrorist mastermind whose goons beheaded our men, raped our women, and burned babies alive”. He concluded with a resolute declaration: “We took him out, and we’re continuing our battle with Iran’s other terrorist proxies”.
Earlier in the day, a drone, launched from Lebanon, exploded near Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea in southern Haifa. However, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson said Netanyahu and his wife were not present at the time of the attack.
Later in a post on X, Netanyahu said that agents of Iran who tried to assassinate me and my wife today made a mistake.
“The agents of Iran who tried to assassinate me and my wife today made a mistake. This will not deter me and the State of Israel from continuing the war of revival against our enemies to ensure our security for generations. Anyone who harms the citizens of the State of Israel will pay a heavy price for it,” the Prime Minister wrote.
“We will continue to eliminate your terrorists, We will return our hostages from Gaza, We will return our residents in the north. We will achieve all the war goals we set, And we will change the security reality in our region for generations,” he added.
Two drones launched from Lebanon were intercepted by air defences, setting off sirens in the Tel Aviv region. Meanwhile, a third drone successfully hit a building in Caesarea, resulting in a significant explosion.
According to the Saudi news outlet Al-Hadath, the drone attack caused damage to part of the building, but fortunately, no casualties were reported.
The attack occurred just days after Israeli forces killed Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on Israel, which initiated the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Sinwar’s death followed a year-long pursuit by Israeli military units.
